(9) 


(6) 


$3. 


HER 


OPPORTUNITY 


RV 

HENRY  CLEMENS  PEARSON. 

AUTHOR  OF   "  HIS  OPPORTUNITY." 


BOSTON 

JAMES    H.   EARLE,    PUBLISHER, 

178  WASHINGTON  STREET. 

1889. 


Copyright,  1888. 
BY  JAMES   H.  EARLE. 

All  rigm*  reserved. 


TO 
THE    KINDEST    OF    CRITICS, 


THIS   VOLUME   IS   AFFECTIONATELY   DEDICATED. 


2046427 


CONTENTS. 


I.  AN  ADVENTURE  ON   THE   CABLE  ROAD     .  9 

II.  AN   UNFASHIONABLE   PROCEEDING  ....  20 

III.  A   COURAGEOUS   VENTURE 33 

IV.  "CONLON'S" 50 

V.    AN   EAST-SIDE   ATTIC 68 

VI.    ARMITAGE   HALL 90 

VII.    AN  AMATEUR   DETECTIVE 105 

VIII.     Two   HEIRESSES 130 

IX.    A  "FREEZE   OUT" 141 

X.     SIMPLE  ADDITION 154 

XI.     FASHIONABLE   EFFORT 165 

XII.      "STANDING    ROOM     ONLY" iSl 

XIII.  THE  OLD  WAREHOUSE 200 

*  XIV.  TREASURER  CRITTENDEN'S  PROPERTY  .  .  213 

XV.  BIG  TOM'S  REVENGE 227 

XVI.  AN  EVENING  AT  THE  BATTERY  ....  242 

XVII.  A  NEGLECTED  CORNER 259 


CONTENTS. 


XVIII.    MR.   ErtTjj'.woFFER's   LEASE 278 

XIX.    SATAN'S   RECORD   EXAMINED 291 

XX.    MCFADDEN'S   BOOMERANG 306 

XXI.    WALL-STREET  WILES 317 

XXII.    WON  WITHOUT  WOOING 331 

XXIII.    COULD   NOT  BE   BOUGHT 341 

XXIV.    ON   DEMAND 355 

XXV.    THE   COMBINATION   OUTWITTED 370 

XXVI.    A   COWARD'S   BLOW 389 

;>'XVII.    A   FEARFUL    HARVEST 399 

XXVIII.    THE   ROOF   MEETING 416 

XXIX.     A   VOICE  FROM   THE   CHIMNEY 431 

XXX.     UNWILLINGLY   CONVINCED 445 


HER   OPPORTUNITY. 


i. 

0r)  frje  ^able.  I\0<a<zl. 


ISS  BELLE,  daughter  of  Ex-Governor  Pit- 
cairn,  of  New  York,  had  taken  a  quiet 
afternoon  jaunt  to  Harlem.  What  impelled  the 
young  lady  to  go  unattended  from  her  elegant 
Fifth  Avenue  home  to  One  Hundred  and  Fifty- 
fifth  street,  by  the  "  Elevated  Road,"  or  why 
she  still  continued  her  way  in  the  commodious 
cars  of  the  Cable  Road,  would  perhaps  puzzle 
her  to  state.  At  all  events,  were  the  journey 
purposeless  or  not,  she  seemed  to  enjoy  it,  and 
quietly  studied  the  faces  and  actions  of  the  few 
passengers  who  entered  at  the  crossings. 

Nor  was  she  unnoticed;  the  conductor,  a  dim- 
inutive blonde  of  two-and-twenty,  twisted  a  back- 
ward moustache,  and  gazed  approvingly  at  the 


IO  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

"  stunnin'est  girl  that  ever  rode  on  this  car, 
sir";  the  "grip-man"  turned  once,  twice,  thrice, 
even  his  big  red  face  beaming  with  pleasure  at 
the  thought  that  his  little  Sally  would  in  a  few 
years  be  grown,  and,  he  flattered  himself,  resem- 
ble that  lady  ;  a  fagged-looking  woman  in  a 
shawl,  yellowed  by  sun  and  rain,  smiled  grate- 
fully as  if  the  sight  of  the  fair  young  face  re- 
freshed her,  as  well  it  might. 

Meanwhile  the  car  was  bowling  along  with  the 
free-coasting  motion  peculiar  to  this  kind  of 
traction,  and  only  the  alarm-gong  at  the  front 
disturbed  the  harmony  of  the  ride. 

Among  other  things  that  Miss  Pitcairn  noted, 
was  the  manner  in  which  the  burly  "grip-man" 
handled  the  car.  A  turn  of  the  brake-wheel,  and 
it  stopped  in  less  than  its  own  length  ;  an  op- 
posite twist,  the  grip  caught  the  cable,  and  the 
car  was  swept  along  as  smoothly  and  easily  as 
if  it  were  a  boat  in  the  rapids. 

As  she  watched,  they  approached  a  crossing 
where  stood  a  lady,  signalling  with  closed 
parasol  and  open  anxiety.  With  the  abandon  of 
an  old  hand,  the  pilot  released  the  grip  and 
set  the  brake,  timing  it  to  stop  at  the  cross- 
ing, but  the  car  sped  on.  With  a  look  of  cha- 
grin, he  turned  the  wheel  yet  more,  and  finding 
that  it  did  no  good,  shook  it  with  all  his. 


AN  ADVENTURE  ON  THE  CABLE  ROAD  1 1 

strength,  while  the  car,  suddenly  beyond  his 
control,  swept  along  faster  than  before,  the 
grip-man  still  laboring  at  the  wheel,  and  sound- 
ing the  gong  harshly  at  all  teams  that  might 
by  any  possibility  get  in  the  way. 

The  little  conductor,  seeing  that  something 
was  wrong,  hastened  forward  and  attempted  to 
assist  the  grip-man,  and  then  two  of  the  male 
passengers  with  white  faces  tried  to  help,  but 
all  to  no  avail.  On  went  the  car  swiftly, 
smoothly;  by  indignant  pedestrians  who  signalled 
in  vain  for  it  to  stop ;  grazing  heavy  teams, 
whose  surly  drivers  kept  the  track  until  the 
last  minute;  on — on  —  the  danger  growing  and 
reflecting  itself  in  the  faces  of  the  frightened 
passengers. 

A  sudden  turn  in  the  road  showed  another  car 
but  a  short  distance  ahead,  stopping  to  let  off  a 
passenger.  At  sight  of  this,  the  male  passen- 
gers on  the  runaway  were  struck  with  panic, 
and  all  of  them,  including  the  conductor,  jumped 
off,  almost  tumbling  over  each  other,  in  their 
eagerness  to  save  themselves.  The  woman  in 
the  faded  shawl  started  to  follow,  but  a  daintily 
gloved  hand  was  laid  on  her  arm,  and  a  trem- 
ulous voice  said,  — 

"  O,  pray,  do  not  jump  off !  We  are  much 
safer  to  sit  still.  See,  the  driver  remains." 


12  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


"  But  we  shall  be  killed  !  O,  why  do  n't  it 
stop!" 

With  a  crash,  the  car  struck  the  one  in  front, 
just  as  the  latter  got  under  way,  and  instead 
of  upsetting  or  stopping,  swept  along,  carrying 
the  forward  car  with  it,  as  easily  as  if  it  had 
been  but  another  passenger.  The  great  cable, 
rattling,  whirring,  in  its  narrow  flume,  had  in 
some  way  caught  the  grip,  and  was  now  speed- 
ing both  cars  to_  the  end  of  the  route.  What 
it  would  do  there  who  could  tell  ?  Perhaps  no 
harm,  perhaps  cause  a  sudden,  disastrous  wreck. 

In  the  second,  as  in  the  first  car,  the  men 
jumped  out  and  saved  their  precious  lives.  There 
was,  however,  one  exception,  a  tall,  strongly 
built  young  man,  who  ^took  up  a  position  in  the 
rear  door,  where  Miss  Pitcairn  saw  him,  and  at 
once  her  face  lighted  with  pleasure,  and  her 
pallor  was  relieved  by  a  faint  color.  At  first, 
the  gentleman  did  not  notice  the  occupants  of 
the  car  in  the  rear,  as  he  was  doing  his  best 
to  soothe  the  frantic  ladies  that  crowded  toward 
the  door  of  his  car  and  insisted  upon  throwing 
themselves  off,  a  proceeding  that  he  refused  to 
allow  in  spite  of  hysterical  appeals  and  half- 
delirious  abuse. 

Meanwhile  the  grip-man  was  still  at  work,  try- 
ing  to  shake  off  the  strange  hold  of  the  cable^ 


AN  ADVENTURE  ON  THE   CABLE  ROAD.          13 

• 

and  to  this  end  called  to  the  gentleman  who 
was  but  a  few  feet  distant, — 

"  Say,  there,  lend  me  a  hand  till  we  break 
this  grip  ! " 

Closing  the  door  and  holding  it  with  one  hand, 
the  stranger  reached  over  and  caught  the  wheel 
with  the  other,  giving  it  a  powerful  pull  that 
made  the  car  rock. 

"  You  've  more  muscle  than  me.  I  '11  hold  that 
door.  Come  over  here,"  said  the  grip-man,  and 
suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  he  leaped  over 
the  guard,  while  the  other  vaulted  lightly  into 
his  place.  As  he  alighted  on  the  platform,  he 
glanced  into  the  car,  and  a  look  of  surprise 
flashed  into  his  eyes. 

"Miss   Pitcairn  here?"  he  said,  as  if  to  himself. 

"O  Mr.  Buckingham,  can  you  stop  the  car?" 
said  a  sweet  voice  as  he  caught  the  wheel  with 
both  hands,  and  bracing  himself  against  the  guard, 
put  the  strength  of  sinewy  arms,  broad  shoulders, 
and  generous  back,  into  a  mighty  wrench.  He 
could  not  answer  except  by  a  look  that  said 
mogt  eloquently,,  "  I  '11  try." 

The  shaft  bent,  the  car  rocked  and  shivered, 
but  the  cable  still  held.  Again  the  young  Her- 
cules bent  himself  to  his  task,  and  again  the 
steel  shaft  showed  its  splendid  temper  by  resist- 
ing the  strain.  With  white  lips  he  set  himself 


14  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


to  a  third  and  final  trial,  when  with  a  crash, 
the  cars  struck  a  heavily  loaded  tiuck,  the  cable 
shook  itself  loose  with  a  jerk  thai  threw  every 
car  on  the  line  from  the  track,  and  the  perilous 
ride  was  at  an  end. 

The  trembling,  half-fainting  ladies  were  assisted 
unhurt  from  the  cars,  and  stood  looking  in  dis- 
may at  the  wreck  and  at  the  rapidly  gathering 
crowd. 

"  Let  me  show  you  into  this  office,  until  I 
can  summon  a  carriage,"  Professor  Buckingham 
had  said  to  Miss  Pitcairn ;  and  with  the  lady 
leaning  on  his  arm,  he  crossed  the  street,  and 
opened  a  door  that  disclosed  the  neat  office  of 
a  paper-box  factory.  A  trim  young  woman  sat 
at  a  table  within  the  railing,  making  ring  boxes 
as  deftly  as  if  she  were  a  swift-moving,  tireless 
automaton. 

"This  lady  can  sit  here  a  few  moments,  I 
suppose?"  said  the  Professor,  with  an  unconscious 
touch  of  authority  in  his  tones,  placing  a  chair 
as  he  spoke. 

"Yes,  sir,"  was  the  reply,  as  the  clever  fingers 
moved  on  without  pause. 

"And  could  I  trouble  you  to  get  her  a  glass 
of  water  ? " 

"In  the  corner,"  with  a  nod  toward  a  tiny 
jar,  crowned  with  a  bright  tin  dipper. 


AN  ADVENTURE  ON  THE    CABLE  ROAD.         IS 


The  gentleman  appeared  a  trifle  nettled  at 
first,  that  any  one  could  so  ignore  his  beauti- 
ful charge,  yet  he  did  not  betray  it  except  by 
a  slight  knitting  of  the  brow,  but  procured  the 
water  and  handed  it  as  if  from  a  cup  of  crystal. 

When  he  had  gone,  Miss  Pitcairn  watched  the 
rapid  worker  with  intense  interest.  The  flying 
fingers,  the  air  of  concentration,  the  constantly 
increasing  pile  of  boxes,  all  opened  to  her  a 
view  of  life  entirely  new.  She  had  never  be- 
fore known  that  it  was  necessary  for  people  to 
work  so  rapidly. 

"I  beg  pardon,  but  may  I  talk  to  you?"  she 
said  at  last.  "  Can  you  not  stop  a  minute  ? " 

"I  can't  stop  very  well,  because  I  have  a 
certain  amount  to  do,  but  it  won't  trouble  me 
to  be  talked  to,  one  bit,"  said  the  other  pleas- 
antly. 

"  Do   you   always   work  like   this  ? " 

"  One  should  work  as  fast  as  this,  to  earn 
enough  to  live  on,"  was  the  reply. 

"  But  I  should  think  it  would  be  very  ex- 
hausting?" ventured  Miss  Pitcairn. 

"  It   is,    but    starving   is    more  so.  ' 

"  How  much  money  can  a  —  a  young  person 
earn  at  this  work?"  continued  the  visitor. 

"A  young  person  can  earn  from  three  to  five 
dollars,"  smiled  the  box-maker. 


1 6  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


"A  day,    of  course  ?" 

The  worker  actually  stopped  and  glanced  at 
the  questioner  to  see  if  she  were  sane,  and 
then  seeing  the  interested  look  on  the  beauti- 
ful face,  smothered  an  ironical  reply,  and  said, — 

"O,  dear,  no,  miss;  three  dollars  a  week,  per- 
haps four,  is  the  average.  I  manage  to  get 
five,  because  I  'tend  the  office  and  help  on  the 
pay-roll,  but  I  am  obliged  to  make  just  as 
many  boxes  as  the  rest,  all  the  same." 

"But  how  can  you  live?"  said  Miss  Pitcairn, 
in  real  distress. 

"  Me  ?  I  can  live  high  beside  the  other  girls. 
O,  five  dollars  a  week  is  n't  to  be  despised,  nor 
three  dollars,  either.  It  may  be  starvation 
wages,  but  it  is  n't  starvation.  There  is  talk, 
though,  of  this  place  being  sold,  and  the  work 
going  to  a  Jew  down  town.  If  it  does,  that 
will  mean  starvation,  sure,  for  some  of  us." 

"But   he   will   hire   you   just   the   same?" 

"  No,  he  wants  none  of  this  help.  The  girls 
are  about  wild  over  it,  but  what  can  they  do  ? 
If  they  peep  or  mutter,  they  are  turned  off,  and 
so  they  just  work  days  and  worry  nights,  all 
except  me.  When  I  get  out  of  work  I  am  go- 
ing to  imitate  Steve  Brodie,  jump  off  the  Brook- 
lyn bridge,"  was  the  reply,  with  the  first  tinge 
of  bitterness  or  recklessness  that  she  had  shown. 


AN  ADVENTURE  ON  THE  CABLE  ROAD.          l) 

"  Do  n't  talk  so.  I  'ra  sure  you  will  be  suc- 
cessful in  finding  employment,"  said  the  other, 
in  a  low,  sad  tone. 

At  this  instant  the  Professor  returned,  and 
Miss  Pitcairn  entered  the  waiting  carriage,  and 
was  driven  to  the  station,  where  she  took  the 
cars  for  her  home. 

"Do  you  know,"  said  the  Professor,  "you 
were  in  a  building  this  afternoon  that  was  for- 
merly owned  by  your  grandfather  ? " 

"Indeed,  how  did  you  learn  that?"  wa  the 
interested  query. 

"  I  asked  a  patrolman  the  name  of  the  firm 
who  own  the  paper-box  business,  and  while  he 
did  not  know,  he  was  able  to  tell  me  that  the 
building  was  called  Van  Alstyne's  mill,  and  that 
it  was  built  by  Jacob  Van  Alstyne  for  a  dwell- 
ing-house when  he  was  a  young  man.  He  lived 
there  some  years  and  then  moved  into  the  city. 
Some  years  ago  it  was  enlarged  and  made  into 
a  box  factory." 

"  How  strange !  It  must  be  still  in  the  fam- 
ily, then,  for  grandpapa  willed  *  that  none  of  his 
real  estate  should  be  sold  until  fifteen  years  after 
his  death." 

"Then  there  are  five  years  more  of  owner 
ship,"  said  the  gentleman. 

"And    of    responsibility,"    murmured    Miss    Pit- 


1  8  HER 


cairn  to  herself,  while  the  Professor,  his  eyes 
keenly  fixed  on  her  face,  strove  to  read  what 
was  passing  in  her  mind,  and  failed,  as  men 
generally  do  in  similar  cases. 

Very  pleasant  was  the  quick  ride  down  to  the 
cross  street  that  let  one  through  from  the  "  L  " 
road  to  the  point  nearest  the  Pitcairn  residence, 
for  both  of  the  young  people,  belonging  to  the 
same  circle,  had  much  to  talk  about  that  was 
interesting. 

Professor  Buckingham,  although  too  much  of  a 
student  to  be  in  the  whirl  of  society  life,  was 
one  who  was  more  than  welcome,  and  could 
make  himself  the  most  agreeable  of  partners. 
As  a  junior  professor  in  New  York's  most  noted 
college,  he  had  already  proved  himself  a  man  of 
force,  and  aside  from  his  success  as  instructor, 
was  making  an  enviable  name  for  himself  in 
literature. 

Added  to  this  was  the  blue  Buckingham 
blood,  a  generous  slice  of  his  father's  for- 
tune, and  it  will  be  seen  that  he  had  several 
reasons  for  being  happy.  He  was  one,  however, 
who  took  prosperity  calmly,  and  worked  steadily 
it  his  chosen  vocation,  varying  the  "grind"  by 
a  couple  of  hours  daily  in  the  gymnasium,  or  on 
the  ball  field,  for  he  was  a  famous  athlete,  and 
perhaps  won  the  hearts  of  the  youths  under  him 


AN  ADVENTURE  ON  THE  CABLE  ROAD.         1 9 

by  his  excellence  in  field  sports  as  well  as  in 
the  dead  languages. 

"You  will  come  in,  Professor?"  Miss  Pitcairn 
said,  when  they  reached  her  home. 

"Thanks,  no,  I  must  help  one  of  my  boys  on 
his  Greek.  I  presume  he  is  waiting  for  me 
now." 

With  a  quick  clasp  of  the  hand,  and  a  lifting 
of  the  hat,  he  hailed  a  cab  and  was  gone. 


2O  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


II. 


/l 


r) 


Pitcairn  residence  was  one  of  the  new 
}  houses  of  Gotham  well  up  town,  in  sight  of 
the  park,  and  yet  so  situate  that  from  its  win- 
dows could  be  seen  more  than  a  mile  of  the 
fashionable  avenue.  The  corner  upon  which  the 
mansion  stood  had  been  purchased  by  the  Gov- 
ernor when  he  was  still  a  young  man,  and  when 
the  land  was  tenantless  except  for  the  motley 
cabins  of  the  "squatters."  With  the  wonderful 
growth  of  the  city  had  grown  his  fortune.  The 
modest  business  that  he  had  founded  had  broad- 
ened and  enlarged,  taking  in  partners,  gathering 
new  clients,  filling  larger  places,  until  its  name 
was  a  synonym  for  sterling  worth,  as  well  as 
enterprise.  In  spite  of  the  large  interests  in- 
volved, Governor  Pitcairn,  although  grown  gray 
and  portly,  was  still  actual  head  of  the  house, 
and  managed  its  many  details  with  an  ease  that 
showed  him  a  born  executive. 

"  Pity   the    Governor   has    no    son    to    inherit  his 


AN'  UNFASHIONABLE  PROCEEDING.  2 1 

business,"  said  his  friends,  finding  something  to 
pity  in  him,  as  no  doubt  they  would  in  the 
angel  Gabriel.  But  the  Governor  gave  no  sign 
that  both  heart  and  ambition  were  not  fully  sat- 
isfied by  his  lovely  daughter. 

Picture  him  sitting  in  ample  arm  chair  after 
dinner,  the  shades  drawn,  the  room  full  of  a 
mellow  light,  his  evening  paper  lying  unread  on 
the  rich  carpet  while  he  talks  to  a  caller  of  his 
idol,  Belle. 

"  Yes,  the  home  seems  but  half  a  home  with 
Belle  away,"  he  says,  in  the  strong  voice  of  a 
well  man.  "She  suddenly  discovered  a  second 
cousin  of  ours  in  Harlem,  and  accepted  an  in- 
vitation to  spend  a  week  there.  My  dear,  it  was 
a  week,  wasn't  it?"  turning  to  his  wife. 

"Yes,  James,  and  I  rejoice  in  it.  These 
cousins  are  estimable  people,  much  like  the  old- 
fashioned  New  Englanders,  with  quiet  tastes  and 
no  dissipations.  It  will  be  a  decided  change  for 
Belle,  who  is  weary  of  the  fevered  life  of  this 
great  city." 

"But  I  am  sure  she  has  never  looked  fagged," 
exclaimed  Mrs.  Crittenden,  whose  errand  had 
been  a  sudden  requisition  for  the  absent  one  to 
serve  on  a  committee  for  some  church  matter. 

"Fagged,"  laughed  her  father;  "she  can  tire 
me  out  and  remain  fresh  as  a  rose;  but  I  wish 


22  HER  OPPORTUNITY, 


she  were  here,  although  I  doubt  if  I  should 
allow  you  to  carry  her  off  this  evening,  for  I 
want  her  myself.  She  has  not  gone  away  be- 
cause she  is  tired  out,  by  any  means.  I  suspect, 
on  the  contrary,  it  is  some  charitable  scheme 
that  her  mother  and  she  are  prosecuting  with 
great  secrecy." 

In  the  mean  time,  as  has  been  suggested,  Miss 
Belle  was  in  Harlem  —  a  thought  that  filled  her 
society  friends  with  surprise,  and  could  they  have 
followed  her  in  the  adventures  of  that  memora- 
ble week,  what  would  have  been  their  emotions? 
As  the  readers  of  this  tale  are  to  be  intimate 
rather  than  society  friends,  there  is  no  reason 
why  Miss  Pitcairn's  week  in  Harlem  should  not 
be  to  them,  as  it  was  to  her,  a  look  at  an  un- 
known world. 

Miss  Pitcairn's  glimpse  of  a  life  of  which  she 
had  heretofore  known  nothing — a  life  where 
young  girls  were  obliged  to  strain  every  nerve, 
improve  each  moment,  to  keep  soul  and  body 
together — had  begotten  in  her  a  desire  to  see 
and  know  more  of  this  state  of  affairs.  With 
the  feeling  that  she  had  a  measure  of  ownership 
in  the  box  factory,  inasmuch  as  it  had  been  the 
property  of  her  grandfather,  she  did  not  hesitate 
again  to  visit  it,  and  to  hold  converse  with  the 
busy  young  woman  in  the  outer  office.  Her 


AN  UNFASHIONABLE  PROCEEDING.  2$ 

questions  were  so  much  to  the  point,  that  Miss 
Murdock,  —  for  that  was  the  worker's  name,  —  real- 
ized that  they  were  not  dictated  by  idle  curios- 
ity, and  answered  with  great  freedom. 

"  But  I  can't  give  you  any  idea  of  how  things 
are,"  she  said  finally.  "  One  must  see  these 
places  for  themselves." 

This  answer  sank  deep  into  Belle's  heart.  By 
birth  and  breeding  she  felt  she  was  different 
from  these  shop-girls,  but  her  common  sense 
suggested  that  circumstances  had  much  to  do 
with  that.  Fresh  from  a  New  England  college, 
where  the  best  and  broadest  education  was  given, 
a  dazzling  season  in  New  York  society  had  not 
quenched  her  desire  to  be  of  use  in  the  great, 
troubled  world.  She  had  taken  Miss  Murdock 
partly  into  her  confidence  from  the  start,  for  she 
instinctively  acknowledged  her  plain  common 
sense,  and  knew  she  would  not  be  swayed  by 
petty  selfishness ;  but  the  benevolent  box-maker 
had  no  idea  that  she  was  talking  to  the  daughter 
of  Governor  Pitcairn,  whose  name  was  known  the 
length  of  Manhattan  Island,  nor  that  her  ques- 
tioner was  heiress  to  large  estates  of  the  aris- 
tocratic Van  Alstynes. 

"Why  couldn't  I  spend  a  day  or  two  learn- 
ing to  make  boxes  ? "  inquired  Miss  Pitcairn,  hesi- 
tatingly, almost  frightened  at  her  own  boldness. 


24  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

"  No  one  taken  to  learn  for  less  than  a  week," 
was  the  reply. 

At  first,  this  seemed  an  insurmountable  obsta- 
cle, but  as  the  desire  to  see  her  fellow-women 
striving  for  daily  bread  became  stronger,  she  at 
length  decided  to  visit  a  long-neglected  cousin 
and  secure  her  co-operation.  This  was  more  diffi- 
cult than  was  at  first  imagined,  for  she  met  with 
a  decided  refusal,  but  her  eloquence  and  her 
mother's  permission  finally  won  the  day.  She 
came  to  Harlem,  and  in  plain  dress  and  calico 
apron,  took  her  place  at  the  beginners'  table 
as  a  "paster."  She  found  the  work  exceed- 
ingly simple,  and  easily  learned  its  routine,  but 
was  also  soon  aware  that  the  speed  necessary  to 
make  even  a  poor  living  was  the  result  of  months 
of  severe  practice.  Her  acquaintance  with  her  fel- 
low-workers progressed  slowly,  for  almost  the  only 
time  that  they  con.1'1  stop  to  converse  was  at 
noon,  when  th^y  took  a  short  half  hour.  At 
other  times  the  owner  of  the  business,  a  burly, 
sullen-looking  man  named  Betteredge,  emphatically 
discouraged  what  he  termed  "jaw  work." 

There  seemed  to  be  an  atmosphere  of  fear  in 
the  factory,  that  certainly  was  not  necessary,  and 
that  more  than  once  made  Miss  Pitcairn  thrill 
with  indignation ;  and  as  little  by  little  she 
learned  more  of  the  man  who  held  so  many 


AN   UNFASHIONABLE   PROCEEDING.  25 

helpless  women  in  his  cruel  power,  she  came  to 
despise  him  as  heartily  as  did  the  rest.  When 
out  of  hearing,  the  girls  alluded  to  him  as  "the 
alderman,"  and,  to  her  surprise  and  disgust,  Miss 
Pitcairn  learned  that  he  was,  indeed,  one  of  the 
"  city  fathers,"  and  had  a  strong  political  back- 
ing. 

In  place  of  errand-boy,  the  mill  supported  a 
small,  ragged  girl,  bright  and  sharp  beyond  her 
years,  and  an  object  of  constant  irritation  to  Mr. 
Betteredge.  Nothing  that  she  did  suited  him,  and 
his  chief  signs  of  disapprobation  were  vigorous 
cuffs.  The  little  girl,  Jack  by  name,  usually 
'•ducked"  in  time  to  evade  the  blows,  and  kept 
out  of  the  way  as  much  as  possible;  but  despite 
her  quickness,  hardly  a  day  passed  that  did  not 
leave  the  traces  of  tears  on  her  soiled  face. 

It  was  during  Miss  Pitcairn's  second  day  in 
Harlem  that  she  learned  of  this  persecution,  and 
to  the  horror  of  the  humble  sisterhood  she 
rebelled. 

It  happened  in  this  wise :  Jack  was  sweeping, 
not  very  rapidly,  for  the  broom  was  heavy,  and 
the  slender  arms  and  wrists  not  over-strong, 
while  Betteredge,  lurking  behind  a  pile  of  card- 
board in  an  adjoining  room,  was  slyly  watching 
her,  his  sullen  eyes  full  of  dislike.  One  or  more 
of  the  piece  workers  saw  him,  but  dared  not 


26  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

apprise  the  child  of  her  danger.  At  length,  when 
she  was  resting  an  instant,  Betteredge  darted  up 
behind,  and  with  a  single  blow  sent  her  reeling 
half  across  the  room.  He  was  about  to  follow 
it  up  with  a  second  blow,  when  he  found  him- 
self confronted  by  a  queenly  young  woman,  whose 
eyes  flashed  such  contempt  that  the  strong  man 
fairly  quailed. 

"Jack,"  she  said,  drawing  the  sobbing  child  to 
her,  "if  this  wicked,  cowardly  man  ever  strikes 
you  again,  come  and  tell  me.  You  have  rights, 
little  one,  and  it  shall  cost  him  dearly  if  he 
tramples  on  them." 

At  the  word  "  rights "  Betteredge  turned  pale, 
and,  to  the  astonishment  of  the  workers,  mut- 
tered something  about  not  being  himself,  and 
slunk  out  of  the  room. 

"  That  was  a  fetcher ! "  said  Jack,  drying  her 
eyes  suddenly.  "  Looked  azzif  he'd  stole  sumpin', 
didn't  he?" 

Among  the  box-makers  to  whom  Miss  Pitcairn 
was  especially  drawn,  was  one  who  had  been 
absent  during  this  episode,  and  who,  perhaps, 
was  the  only  one  of  them  all  that  would  dare 
interfere.  She  was  a  plain,  quiet  young  woman, 
of  twenty-five  years,  who  turned  off  the  work  as 
if  it  were  play,  and  then  helped  the  slower  ones, 
In  this  helping  she  was  impartial  and  fearless, 


4N  UNFASHIONABLE  PROCEEDING.  2/ 

meeting  the  eye  of  the  tyrant  with  a  firmness 
that  caused  him  to  let  her  alone.  Belle,  to  her 
surprise,  came  in  for  her  share  of  this  assistance 
toward  the  end  of  the  week. 

"  You  must  work  faster  than  this,  dear,"  said 
the  helper,  kindly,  "  or  the  boss  won't  have  you 
round  at  all.  You  do  your  work  very  nicely,  but 
quickness  tells  the  tale." 

"Thank. you,  but  I  am  afraid  I  never  shall  be 
as  quick  as  the  rest,"  was  the  demure  reply. 

"  O,  yes,  you  will.  Just  pitch  right  in,  and 
do  your  best,  and  the  Lord  will  make  you  suc- 
cessful," was  the  bright  reply. 

"The  Lord  ain't  found  in  box-shops,"  spoke 
up  a  listener  whose  bench  was  near  them. 

"  Indeed  He  is,  Kitty,  for  it 's  here  I  found 
Him,  and  I  tell  you,  dear,  your  troubles  would 
grow  very  light  if  you  would  but  let  Him  bear  them." 

"  Kate  Thomas,  less  noise  down  there,"  inter- 
rupted the  harsh  voice  of  the  owner. 

"Don't  forget  what  I  say,  He  can  help  you," 
said  she  in  a  lower  tone. 

Mr.  Betteredge  must  have  been  in  a  villanous 
mood,  for  he  strode  down  to  the  bench,  his  red 
face  inflamed  with  anger,  and  said,  — 

"  Look  here,  this  ain't  a  gospel  mill,  and  I 
won't  have  your  preachin'  no  longer.  You  just 
put  on  your  things  and  git  out ! " 


28  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

"  But,  Mr.  Betteredge,  there  are  no  rules 
against  'piece  workers'  talking  in  any  other  box 
factories.  I'm  sure  I  have  not  hindered  the 
work,"  said  the  girl,  turning  pale. 

"  Git  along !  I  do  n't  need  you  here,  and  any 
one  that  do  n't  like  my  style  of  runnin'  this 
place  can  git  out." 

This  last  was  said  as  there  was  a  slight  show 
of  rebellion  among  the  girls,  for  Kate  Thomas 
was  a  favorite.  The  threat  of  the  tyrant,  how- 
ever, recalled  them,  and  they  bent  to  their 
tasks  without  a  word. 

"  I  've  been  a  faithful  hand,  sir,  and  it 's  hard 
to  be  discharged  this  way,"  said  the  offender, 
with  a  faint  hope  that  there  might  be  some 
relenting,  but  the  hard  face  only  grew  the 
harder,  and  with  a  sigh,  she  turned  and  left 
the  room. 

As  the  door  closed,  Miss  Pitcairn  rose,  threw 
aside  her  apron,  donned  her  wrap,  and  started 
to  follow. 

"Where  are  you  goin'?"  was  the  brutal  ques- 
tion of  the  box  manufacturer,  as  he  stepped  in 
front  of  her. 

"Allow  me  to  pass,  sir,"  said  the  young  heir- 
ess, drawing  herself  up  to  her  full  height,  and 
bestowing  such  a  look  of  scorn  upon  him  that 
he  moved  aside  in  ludicrous  haste,  while  she 


AN  UNFASHIONABLE  PROCEEDING.  29 

Mvept  out  and  speedily  overtook  the  girl  so  sud- 
denly and  unjustly  discharged. 

"  You  see,  I  've  espoused  your  cause,  and  left 
also,"  said  Belle  brightly,  stepping  up  beside  her. 

"  O,  why  did  you  do  that ! "  exclaimed  Kate 
in  dismay.  "And  you  just  learnin'?  dear!  dear! 
You  '11  starve  before  you  get  another  place. 
Even  old  hands  find  it  terrible  hard  to  get 
work." 

"There,  don't  worry  for  me.  My  father  will 
not  see  me  suffer,"  said  Belle,  cheerily. 

"  Is   he   workin'  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  was  the  reply  with  a  conscious  blush, 
"I  believe  he  's  doing  very  well." 

"You  ought  to  be  thankful  for  that,  even  if 
he  do  n't  get  mor  'n  a  dollar  a  day,"  said  be- 
nevolent Kate,  noting  the  blush,  and  thinking 
with  charitable  tact  that  perhaps  "  doing  well " 
might  serve  to  keep  the  wolf  but  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  door. 

"  What  shall  you  try  to  do  now,  if  I  may 
ask  ? "  inquired  Miss  Pitcairn  with  some  hesita- 
tion. 

"  O,  hunt,  I  suppose.  Climb  stairs,  study 
newspapers,  and  starve,  until  I  get  another  job. 
I  'm  just  about  discouraged  to-night,  for  I  was  n't 
fit  to  work  to-day,  but  —  but  —  'I  know  that  my 
Redeemer  liveth.' " 


3O  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


The  sentence  ended  in  a  sob,  for  as  she  said, 
brave  Kate  Thomas,  the  helper  of  the  weak 
ones,  was  herself  weak  then,  and  rested  heavily 
on  the  Almighty  arm.. 

"Cheer  up.  He  will  help  you,  —  I  am  so  sure 
He  will,"  said  Belle  gently,  taking  her  arm 
with  loving  pressure.  "  Come,  you  look  faint ; 
go  to  dinner  with  me." 

Truth  to  tell,  the  offer  was  tempting,  for  the 
lunch  that  the  girl  had  brought  had  been  di- 
vided with  a  poorer  sister.  She  did  not  object 
strenuously,  therefore,  until  the  door  of  a  res- 
taurant that  certainly  could  not  be  called  fash- 
ionable was  approached,  when  she  drew  back 
in  amazement. 

"  O,    not    in    there  !  "    she   exclaimed. 

"Why?  Isn't  it  respectable?"  was  the  some- 
what startled  query. 

"  Yes  !  yes  !  but  the  prices  they  charge.  And 
the  colored  waiters  wo  n't  look  at  you  unless  you 
give  them  a  quarter.  Why,  they  charge  thirty- 
five  cents  for  a  plate  of  soup,  such  as  one 
would  get  for  five,  or,  at  most,  ten  cents  in 
any  common  place." 

Obediently  Belle  allowed  herself  to  be  con- 
ducted to  a  modest  lunch  counter,  where  the 
prices  had  no  horror  in  them  for  Miss  Thomas, 
and  both  made  a  good  meal  of  crackers  and  milk. 


AN  UNFASHIONABLE  PROCEEDING.  3  I 

Before  they  separated,  the  Governor's  daughter 
had  secured  the  address  of  both  Kate  Thomas 
and  Sarah  Murdock,  and  as  she  returned  to  her 
Fifth  Avenue  home  that  night,  it  was  with  a 
firm  purpose  to  do  something  to  help  the  box- 
makers.  Perhaps  this  decision  was  written  on 
her  face,  for  her  father,  after  kissing  her,  held 
her  off  to  admire  for  a  minute,  and  said, — 

"  Well,  well,  little  one  !  Where 's  the  languid 
look, — the  society  indifference?  What's  the  new 
idea  ?  " 

"  You  sharp-eyed  papa  !  I  've  made  up  my 
mind  to  do  some  good  in  the  world ;  but  does 
it  really  show  on  my  face?"  was  the  genuinely 
feminine  reply. 

"  Will   you   abandon    it   if   it   does  ? " 

"  Of  course  not,  but,  papa,  if  I  try  to  help 
the  right  sort  of  people, —  those  who  are  trying 
to  help  themselves, — you  won't  make  fun,  but 
will  stand  by  me  ?  " 

The  Governor  looked  into  her  eyes,  alight 
with  earnest  purpose,  and  said, — 

"  My  little  girl,  when  you  get  your  plans 
matured,  come  to  me,  and  I  '11  back  you  with 
all  -I  have,  and  here 's  my  hand  on  it.  Do  you 
want  any  money  now?" 

"  No,  papa.  I  'm  not  sure  I  shall  want 
money." 


32  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

"  Oho,  it 's  moral  support  ?  This  is  getting 
serious.  Well,  count  on  me  —  and  on  mother." 

Mrs.  Pitcairn  had  just  come  in  from  a  drive, 
and  said  in  her  sweet,  low  voice, — 

"You  may  promise  any  thing  for  me,  James, 
except  that  Belle  shall  spend  another  week 
away  from  home.  My  dear  child,  how  I  have 
missed  you  !  " 

"To  repay  you,  mamma  mine,  I  will  tell  you, 
first,  all  of  my  numerous  and  strange  adventures, 
and  papa  will  have  to  wait  for  his  share." 

"  Humph  ! "  said  the  Governor  in  mock  dis- 
gust. "Any  plan  that  can  not  stand  the  search- 
ing analysis  of  the  masculine  intellect,  will  never 
avail  to  ameliorate  the  condition  of  the  benighted 
Harlemites." 

"  There,  mamma,  he 's  talking  Volapiik  again," 
was  the  only  reply  he  received,  as  mother  and 
daughter,  their  arms  entwining  each  other's 
waists,  slowly  ascended  the  broad  stair-case,  fol- 
lowed by  the  Governor's  look  of  proud  affection. 


A    COURAGEOUS   VENTURE.  33 


III. 


$egf 


DfiHE  interest  that  Miss  Pitcairn  had  so  sud- 
denly developed  in  the  welfare  of  the  hun- 
dreds of  young  women  employed  in  the  Van 
Alstyne  mill  did  not  die  out  when  she  returned 
to  New  York.  Although  busy  with  society's  de- 
mands, the  problem  of  securing  to  those  depend- 
ent ones  a  better  enjoyment  of  life,  and  an 
opportunity  to  be  more  than  mere  machines,  was 
ever  before  her  for  solution.  The  impulse  to  give 
to  each  a  sum  of  money,  and  thereafter  allow 
them  to  shift  for  themselves,  although  natural, 
did  not  commend  itself  as  wise,  for  these  girls 
were  far  from  being  beggars,  and  worked  hard 
enough  to  be  gaining  a  little  each  day  in- 
stead of  losing.  They  were  surely  entitled  to 
an  opportunity  for  earning  a  living,  for  they 
were  constant  and  willing  producers,  and  the 
young  heiress  was  strongly  impressed  that  her 
mission  would  be  in  securing  to  them  their  just 
deserts.  A  few  words  that  Sarah  Murdock 


34  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


dropped  suggested  a  way  to  do  this,  —  a  thought 
at  first  rejected  as  out  of  the  question,  yet  so 
entertaining  in  its  novelty  and  possibilities  that 
it  could  not  be  forgotten. 

Miss  Murdock  had  met  Belle  by  appointment 
at  her  cousin's  in  Harlem,  and  was  discussing 
the  affairs  of  the  factory  in  her  usual  direct 
manner. 

"Mr.  Betteredge  is  heartily  sick  of  the  box 
business,  and  will  certainly  sell  it  out  within  a 
couple  of  weeks,"  she  said.  "  I  know  this,  be- 
cause he  has  promised  a  Jew  in  New  York  that 
he  shall  have  it,  if  a  better  offer  does  not  come 
up  during  that  time.  He  has  made  me  promise 
not  to  tell  a  soul  in  the  mill,  because  he  says 
it  would  interfere  with  the  finishing  of  the  work. 
The  Jew  runs  a  factqry,  and  will  take  the  stock 
and  the  accounts,  but  won't  hire  any  of  the 
help.  All  that  troubles  Mr.  Betteredge  is  that 
the  three  years'  lease  of  the  building  will  still 
be  on  his  hands,  and  he  will  have  to  hunt  up 
an  acceptable  tenant " 

"Will   not   the  Jew   take   the   lease?" 

"  No ;  he  feels  that  he  has  Mr.  Betteredge  at 
a  disadvantage,  and  is  bound  to  get  all  he  can 
at  the  smallest  possible  cash  outlay.  I  do  n't 
care  how  much  he  beats  him,  but  the  thought 
of  all  the  girls  being  thrown  out  of  work  at 


A    COURAGEOUS   VENTURE.  35 

once  drives  me  distracted,  and  I  verily  believe 
that  the  hateful  old  alderman  is  gloating  over 
the  fact  that  most  of  us  will  be  starving  a  week 
after  the  factory  stops." 

"  Surely   he   is   not   such   a   brute   as   that  ? " 

'*  You  do  n't  know  him  as  we  do.  When  he 
dislikes  anybody  there  is  nothing  too  bad  for 
them,  and  he  hates  every  soul  of  us." 

Soon  after  this  conversation,  Mr.  Crittenden, 
a  prominent  real  estate  man  in  New  York,  and 
the  agent  of  the  Van  Alstyne  estates,  received 
a  long  letter  from  Miss  Pitcairn  that  caused  him 
to  open  his  eyes  in  astonishment,  and  shake  his 
head,  and  say,  — 

"  Pity  the  Governor  had  n't  a  boy.  Women 
nrely  reckon  on  the  cost  of  things.  Wonder 
what  the  new  whim  will  develop  into.  Well,  I 
certainly  shall  not  suffer,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
get  a  good  commission,  and  with  the  wide  mar- 
gin given,  perhaps  a  chance  to  turn  an  honest 
penny." 

Thus  soliloquizing,  he  took  a  train  for  Harlem 
to  see  Mr.  Betteredge,  but  on  arriving  at  the 
factory  learned  that  he  had  gone  to  New  York, 
and  would  be  found  either  at  his  "  new  saloon," 
or  at  "  Dittenhoffer's  brewery."  With  true  per- 
sistence he  immediately  returned,  determined  to 
find  the  man  he  was  looking  for.  While  he  is 


36  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


on  his  way  down  town,  allow  us  to  introduce 
Mr.  Dittenhoffer,  intimate  friend  of  Betteredge, 
a  brewer,  immensely  fat,  red-faced,  and  beery- 
looking.  A  successful  man  was  the  brewer,  if, 
indeed,  success  ever  attends  that  business ;  and 
his  bullet  head  and  little,  red-rimmed  eyes  be- 
spoke cunning  and  self-satisfaction. 

At  the  moment  that  Mr.  Crittenden  stepped  off 
the  cars  to  seek  Betteredge,  the  latter  had  left  his 
saloon  and  strolled  over  to  the  brewery  and  found 
Dittenhoffer  in  the  office  with  a  foaming  mug  be 
fore  him,  about  to  take  a  final  drink  and  go  home 

"  Goot  evening,  mein  frient,"  he  said,  cordially. 
"  Sidt  right  dowun  and  drink  mit  me.  Vat 's  the 
goot  vort?" 

"  Oh,  nothing  special.  I  came  in  for  a  little 
advice  which  you  can  give  me,  if  any  one  can." 

The  other  bowed  profoundly,  and  listened  with 
a  vast  smile,  that  began  at  the  heavy  circles  un- 
der his  eyes,  and  spread  itself  into  wrinkles  and 
creases  and  a  brewer's  dozen  of  double  chins. 

"I  'm  bound  to  sell  out  that  place  of  mine  up 
at  Harlem,  for  it  is  n't  much  of  a  business  by 
the  side  of  my  saloon.  Now  I  can  close  it  up 
without  loss,  but  the  girls  hate  me,  and  take  no 
pains  to  conceal  it  when  my  back  is  turned,  and 
I  want  to  give  them  a  dose  all  around  that  they 
will  remember." 


A    COURAGEOUS   VENTURE:  37 

"  You    midt   holdt    back   deir  pay." 

"  No,  I  can't  do  that,  for  there  are  plenty  of 
smart  lawyers  that  are  only  too  ready  to  jump 
on  a  fellow  for  a  claim  of  that  kind.  I  want 
some  new  scheme." 

Dittenhoffer  shook  his  head  wisely,  and  puffed 
at  a  long  German  pipe,  as  if  in  deep  thought. 
At  that  moment  Mr.  Crittenden  came  in,  with 
the  genuine  New  York  hurry,  and  said,  — 

"Ah,  Mr.  Betteredge,  I  was  told  I  should  find 
you  here.  Can  I  see  you  for  a  few  minutes  ? " 

"Just  as  well  here  as  anywhere,"  was  the  half 
surly  reply.  "  I  have  no  secrets  from  my  friend 
Dittenhoffer." 

"Very  well,"  returned  the  caller,  refusing  with 
a  slight  gesture  a  proffered  glass  of  beer.  "  1 
wished  to  ascertain  if  you  desired  to  dispose  of 
your  lease  of  the  Van  Alstyne  mill  ? " 

"  No,  I  do  n't  know  that  I  do,  unless  it  is  a 
specially  good  offer,"  was  the  caretess  reply. 
1  "Governor  Pitcairn's  daughter  is  anxious  to  se- 
cure the  building  for  some  purpose  which  she 
does  not  divulge.  You  know,  perhaps,  it  belongs 
to  her  share  of  the  Van  Alstyne  property,  and 
she  would  take  the  lease  off  your  hands  at  a 
very  fair  price,  I  think." 

"I  'm  not  anxious  to  sell,  but  I  tell  you  what 
I  '11  do,"  said  the  alderman,  after  a  moment's 


38  HLR   OPPORTUNITY. 


thought.  "If  you  can  get  her  to  take  the  stock 
and  the  machinery  at  appraisal,  which  is  n't  much, 
I'  will  give  up  the  lease  without  any  bonus." 

"Supposing  we  put  that  in  writing,"  suggested 
wily  Mr.  Crittenden. 

It  was  therefore  written  out,  read  over,  and 
approved. 

"Add  five  hundred  dollars  to  it,  and  I  '11  dis- 
pose of  'good  will'  and  all,"  said  Betteredge, 
jocularly. 

"Very  well,"  was  the  serious  reply,  and  that 
clause  was  added,  much  to  Mr.  Crittenden's  sat- 
isfaction, be  it  noted,  for  here  he  saw  a  chance 
for  the  "honest  penny." 

The  box  manufacturer  looked  amazed,  started  to 
remonstrate,  and  then  let  it  pass,  thinking  that, 
after  all,  it  mattered  little,  as  the  good  will 
could  be  of  value  only  to  one  who  could  use  it. 
This  business  finished,  and  the  appraiser  named, 
Mr.  Crittenden  took  his  departure. 

When  the  door  had  closed  after  him,  Better- 
edge  jumped  to  his  feet  and  said, — 

"Now  I  have  it!  That  fool  of  a  Crittenden 
has  just  let  me  out  in  a  way  that  will  give  me 
the  chance  I  wanted  to  make  those  box-makers 
squirm." 

Then  he  sat  down,  drew  his  chair  close  to 
Dittenhoffer,  and  the  two  un worthies  talke*d  and 


A   COURAGEOUS   VENTURE.  39 


chuckled  and  drank  beer  for  another  half  hour 
before  they  parted.  As  they  shook  hands  at  the 
door,  Dittenhoffer  said,  impressively,  wagging  a 
pudgy  forefinger,  — 

"  Drag  it  oudt.  Make  it  last  tree  weeks,  a 
month,  seex  weeks.  You  can  affordt  it,  undt  it 
vill  be  lots  of  fun." 

"  You  bet  your  life,"  was  the  reply,  as  the 
other  strode  gaily  away. 

The  following  Saturday  evening  it  was  an- 
nounced at  the  box  shop  that  there  would  be  no 
work  Monday  or  Tuesday,  but  that  all  must  be 
on  hand  Wednesday  morning.  Mr.  Betteredge 
made  this  announcement  in  person,  adding  that 
he  was  about  to  secure  a  large  contract  for 
certain  work,  and  that  he  must  get  ready.  He 
stated,  also,  in  the  kindliest  tones  that  he  had 
ever  used  in  the  mill,  that  the  prices  on  "piece 
work "  would  be  raised  fifty  per  cent,  when  they 
started  up  again. 

To  say  that  the  girls  were  jubilant,  would  be 
to  state  it  very  mildly.  To  be  sure,  the  thought 
of  even  two  days'  waiting  sorely  tried  some  of 
them,  yet  the  prospect  of  an  increase  such  as  was 
promised  soon  dispelled  even  this  passing  cloud, 
and  all  readily  agreed  not  to  "give  this  away"  to 
any  one,  lest  the  rival  manufacturers  learn  of  it 
and  "  cut  prices,"  ar.d  a  reduction  be  necessary. 


40  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

All  day  Monday  in  their  humble  homes  waited 
the  box-makers,  their  scanty  fare  seasoned  with 
hope,  which  was  all  they  had  in  abundance.  On 
Tuesday  there  came  a  note  to  each,  saying,  that 
owing  to  the  difficulty  in  securing  "stock,"  the 
mill  could  not  start  up  until  the  first  of  the 
following  week.  A  word  of  acknowledgment  of 
their  straitened  circumstances  was  added  to  this, 
with  the  promise  of  half  pay  for  the  week  df 
idleness  to  all  those  who  were  in  readiness  to 
go  to  work  on  the  date  given. 

A  week  without  work !  Even  on  half  pay 
this  meant  an  extreme  of  destitution  that,  in 
God's  mercy,  but  few  in  this  country  are 
called  upon  to  realize.  But  there  was  no  way 
out  of  it,  and  with  the  thought  of  Mr.  Bet- 
teredge's  promises,  they  were  forced  to  be  con- 
tent. 

In  the  meantime,  while  the  retired  box  manu- 
facturer and  the  brewer  were  chuckling  over  the 
misery  of  the  help,  Miss  Pitcairn,  with  the  aid 
of  Sarah  Murdock  and  a  gray-haired  clerk  of  her 
father's,  was  busily  acquainting  herself  with  the 
state  of  affairs  in  the  mill.  By  Wednesday,  after 
hard  work,  all  was  ready,  and  a  message  sum- 
moned the  girls  to  the  "  packing  room,"  where 
was  spread  a  substantial  supper.  To  this  the 
half -starved  workers  did  justice,  most  of  them 


A    COURAGEOUS   VENTURE.  41 

indulging  the  idea  that  they  were  indebted  to 
Mr.  Betteredge  for  it.  They  were,  however,  un- 
deceived when  Sarah  Murdock  toJd  them,  in  her 
direct,  business-like  way,  that  the  property  had 
changed  hands,  and  that  Betteredge  would  man 
ufacture  no  more,  hastening  to  add  chat  there 
would  be  work  the  next  morning  for  all  that 
wished — as  if  they  were  not  wild  for  it— and 
that  for  the  first  week  they  should  receive  their 
pay  daily. 

Had  the  audience  been  boys  or  men,  such 
statements  would  have  been  greeted  with  cheers, 
but  as  all  present  were  girls  and  women,  a  buzz 
of  satisfaction  and  a  general  gladness  of  expres- 
sion took  the  place  of  applause. 

"Shall  we  take  the  'alf  pay  that  the  Haider- 
man  gives  us  ? "  asked  one  of  the  girls. 

"  Certainly.  If  he  wishes  to  present  the  help 
in  the  mill  with  two  dollars  a  week  apiece,  they 
should  be  very  thankful  to  get  it,"  was  a  reply 
which  caused  general  satisfaction. 

"There  is  one  person  who  is  not  here,  whom 
the  girls  missed,"  said  Miss  Murdock,  as  the 
guests  were  departing,  after  having  received  their 
;nstructions  for  the  next  day. 

"  You   mean   Kate   Thomas  ? " 

"Yes." 

"Let   them   have   patience;     I    have    something 


42  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

in  store  for  her  that  I  think  she  will  appreci- 
ate," replied  Miss  Pitcairn,  mysteriously. 

The  new  owner  wished  to  see  how  well  Miss 
Murdock  could  manage  the  assembled  box-makers, 
and  feared  that  the  presence  of  Kate  Thomas 
would  prevent  her  from  judging  with  exactness  how 
well  she  succeeded.  It  will  be  seen  that  this  course 
was  far  from  being  a  slight,  but  was  the  rather  a 
compliment  to  the  restraining  influence  that  the 
worthy  Kate  exercised  over  her  companions. 

Since  first  meeting  that  simple  and  devoted 
Christian,  the  young  heiress  had  felt  that  Kate 
was  a  woman  of  more  than  ordinary  force  of 
character,  and  that  she  would,  with  her  firm  faith 
and  straightforward  common  sense,  be  an  invalua- 
ble aid  in  the  work  of  raising  the  box-makers  to 
a  higher  level,  and  she  had,  as  was  intimated, 
found  a  special  field  for  her  to  work. 

Bright  and  early  on  the  morning  of  the  open- 
ing the  girls  were  on  hand,  took  their  accus- 
tomed places,  and  went  to  work  at  the  "regular 
stock."  At  first,  every  thing  did  not  run  as 
smoothly  as  might  have  been  expected  in  a  care- 
fully regulated  mill ;  there  were  a  few  "  waits " 
for  stock,  as  new  cutters  had  been  hired ;  the 
paste  gave  out,  because  no  one  had  remembered 
to  order  it,  but  all  of  these  trifles  were  rem- 
edied after  short  delay,  and,  as  the  girls  knew 


A    COURAGEOUS  VENTURE.  43 


what  to  do  in  their  several  departments,  a  fair 
day's  work  was  accomplished. 

At  noon,  however,  came  a  note  from  a  cus- 
tomer, requesting  the  "Company"  to  "send  their 
representative  down  to  take  an  order."  This 
meant,  evidently,  that  they  expected  the  salesman 
who  had  been  discharged  two  weeks  before  Better- 
edge  sold  out,  to  come  to  their  office  with  samples 
and  prices.  The  young  man  had  acted  as  commer- 
cial traveller,  and  had  also  taken  care  of  the  office 
sales,  travelling  only  in  New  York  city,  Brooklyn, 
and  Jersey  City,  and  the  problem  that  now  con- 
fronted Miss  Pitcairn  and  her  assistant  was  the  hir- 
ing of  a  like  salesman  or  losing  their  trade. 

"  If  I  was  only  more  familiar  with  the  styles 
and  prices,  I  should  go  down  myself,"  announced 
Belle,  determinedly. 

"Why  couldn't  I  go,"  inquired  Sarah,  "and 
attend  to  that  part  of  the  work  right  along  ?  I 
know  the  styles  that  the  different  customers 
fancy,  and  the  prices,  and  have  seen  many  of 
the  buyers  here." 

"  Are  ladies  ever  commercial  travellers  ? "  asked 
Belle,  with  some  hesitation. 

"  I  do  n't  know,  but  I  do  know  that  we  shall 
lose  that  order  if  we  do  not  go  in  person  and 
take  it,  and  if  you  will  give  me  leave,  I'nn 
going  to  get  it,"  was  the  brave  answer. 


44  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


"Go,  and  success  attend  you,  and  remember, 
if  you  can  and  will  do  this  work  your  salary 
shall  be  the  same  as  that  paid  to  a  man,"  was 
Miss  Pitcairn's  reply. 

So  Miss  Murdock  went,  returning  in  a  couple 
of  hours,  her  cheeks  pink  with  excitement,  bring- 
ing an  order  twice  as  large  as  any  before  given 
by  that  house. 

"I  had  splendid  treatment,"  she  declared.  "They 
acted  as  if  they  were  accustomed  to  deal  wich 
women." 

Thus  it  happened  that,  through  stress  of  cir- 
cumstances, the  Van  Alstyne  mill  had  a  feminine 
"traveller,"  and  one  who  neither  smoked,  drank, 
nor  squandered  the  firm's  time  in  playing  "  poker." 

Two  weeks  of  intense  application,  and  Miss 
Piccairn,  under  the  guidance  of  the  old  book- 
keeper, who  was  as  wise  as  he  was  modest,  had 
the  business  well  systematized  and  running 
smoothly.  Competent  heads  were  chosen  for  the 
various  departments,  and  were  in  every  case 
made  personally  responsible  for  the  work  under 
their  charge.  In  this  way  it  was  possible  for 
the  Governor's  daughter  to  know  just  what  was 
done,  by  scanning  the  daily  reports,  and  yet  not 
assume  the  drudgery  involved  in  the  following 
up  of  petty  details.  So  it  happened  that  she 
returned  to  society  after  an  absence  of  two 


A    COURAGEOUS   VENTURE.  45 


weeks,  and  still  gave  regular  hours  each  day  to 
her  business.  One  of  the  first  reforms  that  had 
been  instituted  was  a  revision  of  the  prices  paid 
the  piece  workers,  so  that  there  were  few  of 
them  who  were  not  making,  at  least,  seven  dol- 
lars a  week,  and  most  earned  more. 

For  two  weeks  Betteredge  paid  the  girls  their 
half  wages,  and  rejoiced  in  the  firm  conviction 
that  they  were  starving  in  their  attics,  and  wait- 
ing for  the  factory  to  start  up.  At  the  end  of 
this  time  it  occurred  to  him  that  the  "good  will" 
which  had  been  sold  with  the  stock  might  just 
as  well  "  net  him  something,"  so  he  went  over 
to  the  Hebrew  who  had  formerly  desired  to  pur- 
chase, and  prepared  to  offer  him  a  bargain.  To 
his  amazement,  the  latter  flew  into  a  towering 
passion,  and  ordered  him  out  of  his  office.  Bet- 
teredge, however,  did  not  go,  but  sat  down  and 
demanded  an  explanation. 

"You  think  I  buy  what  you  ain't  got  to  sell?" 
yelled  the  Hebrew,  fairly  hopping  with  wrath. 

"  But  I  can  hold  those  customers.  My  selling 
out  was  only  to  get  rid  of  the  lease.  Why, 
you  fool,  I  did  n't  sell  to  a  box  man.  I  sold  to 
a  party  who  would  n't  go  into  the  box  business 
if  there  was  millions  in  it.  Come,  be  sensible. 
I  '11  go  round  to  these  customers  with  you,  and 
turn  over  their  trade  for  five  hundred  dollars." 


46  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

"You  vas  the  fool,"  yelled  the  other,  "to  think 
that  you  could  sell  against  that  vooman  drummer." 

"Woman  drummer?"  was  the  wondering  reply. 

"Ain't    that    vat    I    said?" 

"  Look  here,  what  are  you  driving  at  ? "  asked 
the  caller,  more  and  more  bewildered. 

"  Humph  !  you  vas  the  big  hypocrite.  You 
make  believe  you  do  n't  know  that  the  mill  vas 
running,  and  that  they  have  a  vooman  drummer 
what  sells  more  boxes  as  all  of  mine.  She  takes 
seven  of  my  customers  quick,  already." 

"The  mill  running!"  gasped  Betteredge,  "and 
I  've  been  paying  those  hussies  two  dollars  a  week 
to  loaf!  Why  don't  somebody  kick  me  to  death!" 

"I  '11  do  that  pretty  midty  quick,  meinself,  if 
you  do  n't  get  oudt  of  here,"  returned  the  other, 
and  Betteredge,  in  a  trance  of  amazement  and 
anger,  went  out,  followed  by  the  maledictions  of 
the  Hebrew. 

The  following  afternoon  Mr.  Crittendcn,  re- 
membering the  honest  penny  that  he  had  in- 
tended to  turn,  which  a  pressure  of  business 
ha*d  driven  for  a  time  out  of  his  mind,  mentally 
canvassed  the  box-makers  that  he  knew,  and 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  a  well-known  Pie- 
brew,  none  other  than  Bcttercdge's  acquaintance, 
was  the  very  man  for  his  purpose.  With  .a 
cheery  briskness  that  the  prospect  of  money- 


A    COURAGEOUS   VENTURE.  47 

getting  always  imparted  to  his  demeanor,  he 
stepped  into  the  office  of  the  Israelite,  and  after 
a  greeting,  said,  — 

"  Moses,  I  've  got  a  bargain  that  will  make 
your  eyes  shine  when  you  hear  of  it." 

"  Humph,"    grunted    the    other. 

"A  full  stock,  carefully  selected,  at  less  than 
a  third  of  the  cost,  and  the  good  will  at  a  song." 

"Vat  line  of   goods?"  was  the  suspicious  query 

"  Why,  boxes,  of  course ;  you  know  the  Van 
Alstyne  mill  ? " 

"  Look  here  !  vat's  the  matter  with  you  fellers, 
hey  ?  Do  you  think  I  vas  an  altogedder  crazy 
fool  ? "  interrupted  Moses,  his  ire  rising  rapidly. 

"  Hold  on ;  do  n't  get  angry.  This  good  will, 
worth  ten  thousand  dollars,  I  will  seU  for  a 
thousand,  cash" 

"  Ach,  mein  gracious !  do  you  vant  me  to 
commidt  some  murders?  I  do  n't  vant  to  hear 
any  more  of  dot  Van  Alstyne  mill.  You  vas  a 
big  schwindle,  you  and  Betteredge "  — 

"  Has  Betteredge  been  trying  to  sell  it  to 
you?" 

"  Of  course  he  has,  undt  I  pelieve  you  sent 
him,"  was  the  wrathful  response. 

"  The  rascal  !  Trying  to  sell  what  is  n't  his. 
Why,  I  bought  it  of  him  two  weeks  ago,"  said 
Mr.  Crittenden,  with  such  evident  sincerity  that 


48  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 


the  Hebrew  was  for  the  moment  staggered,  but 
he  rallied  to  inquire, — 

"  Docs   the   vooman    vant   to    sell    out  ? " 

"  What   woman  ?  " 

"  Mcin  gracious !  de  vooman  what  is  running 
it,  and  spoiling  mem  trade." 

"  Pshaw  !  some  one  has  been  stuffing  you. 
The  daughter  of  Governor  Pitcairn  bought  it  to 
turn  into  a  sanitarium  or  something  of  the  sort, 
and  she  wants  to  get  rid  of  the  stock.  The 
place  has  been  shut  up  since*  Bcttereclge  left," 
replied  the  agent,  easily. 

"I  tinks  you  vas  the  premium  liar  of  the 
vorldt,  undt  I  do  n't  wand  nodings  more  to  do 
mit  you.  Shut  up  ?  I  vas  oop  there  meinself, 
one,  two,  dree  days,  undt  all  vas  at  vork.  The 
office  vas  full  of  voomans,  undt  they  are  mak- 
ing boxes  by  the  hoondret.  Your  leedle  trick 
vas  no  goot.  I  snap  my  fingers  at  you.  See?" 

Like  Betteredge,  Mr.  Crittenden  departed,  his 
mind  in  a  whirl.  As  it  was  late,  he  did  not  go 
up  to  Harlem  that  evening,  as  was  his  first  in- 
tention, to  verify  the  statement  of  Moses,  and 
before  the  morrow  dawned  chance  furnished  him 
all  the  information  he  needed.  He  happened  to 
be  treasurer  of  the  fashionable  up-town  church 
to  which  the  Governor  belonged,  and  that  very 
evening  was  present  at  a  pastor's  reception. 


A    COURAGEOUS   VENTURE.  49 

Among   other   beautiful   women,   Belle   shone,  and, 
as    she   stood    talking   with    his    wife,   the     curious 
real   estate    man   ventured   near   and   said,  — 
'     "May   I   ask    after    the    Harlem    scheme,    Miss 
Pitcairn  ? " 

"  Certainly.     What    can    I    tell   you   about   it  ? " 
"Who   has   charge   of  the  business   now?" 
The   young   heiress   drew   out    an    elegant   card, 
upon   which   was   printed,  — 


The  VAN  ALSTYNE  MFG,  CD, 

PAPER  BDXES, 

B,  IT,  FITCAIRN,  Den'l  Mgr, 


"Mr.  Crittenden,  you  have  monopolized  Miss 
Pitcairn  long  enough.  She  has  promised  to  sing, 
and  we  are  more  than  impatient,"  interrupted 
the  hostess,  leading  the  young  lady  to'  the  piano, 
and  leaving  the  agent  speechless  at  the  dawning 
of  the  truth. 


5°  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


IV. 


» 

s. 


BRIEF  acquaintance  with  Kate  Thomas  was 
enough  to  convince  the  most  cursory  ob- 
server that  she  had  a  mission ;  for  even  in  the 
factory,  her  helpfulness  was  ever  acknowledged, 
and  her  influence  for  good  among  the  hands  was 
constant.  When  her  sudden  discharge  came,  and 
she  had  gone  to  her  humble  lodgings,  discour- 
aged and  weary,  yet  with  the  certainty  that  the 
trouble  was  but  for  the  moment,  there  came  a 
letter  enclosing  a  bank  bill  and  bidding  her  rest. 
Where  it  came  from  was  more  than  the  aston- 
ished recipient  could  guess,  and  had  it  not  been 
for  the  illness  of  two  of  the  paper-box  makers, 
it  is  doubtful  if  she  would  soon  have  discovered. 
Word  had  come  that  two  of  the  best  workers 
were  ill,  and  soon  after  this  bad  news,  a  second 
letter,  this  time  signed  by  Miss  Belle  Pitcairn, 
requesting  Miss  Thomas  to  call  at  her  earliest 
convenience.  The  place  mentioned  being  the  box 
factory,  the  girl  thought  nothing  of  it,  and  an- 


*  CONLON'S."  51 


swering  the  summons,  was  amazed  to  see  the 
young  lady  whom  she  had  known  as  a  learner, 
but  a  short  time  before,  sitting  at  a  desk  upon 
which  were  a  mass  of  letters,  while  Miss  Mur- 
dock  stood  at  her  elbow,  explaining  and  making 
notes  upon  the  replies  to  be  sent. 

"  Come  in,  please,  and  sit  down.  I  will  be  at 
leisure  in  a  moment,"  said  she ;  and  the  visitor, 
greatly  wondering,  did  as  she  was  bidden. 

"You  received  my  letter?"  said  Miss  Pitcairn, 
the  pile  of  mail  being  disposed  of. 

"  Yes." 

"Are   you   employed   anywhere?" 

"No" — with    a   sigh. 

"Ah,  I  am  glad  of  that,  for  I  want  you  my- 
self. I  have  purchased  this  business  of  Mr.  Bet- 
teredge,  and  shall  want  your  help,  although  in  a 
different  line  from  what  you  have  been  accus- 
tomed to  work." 

"I'm  sure  I  shall  be  very  thankful  to  get  any 
thing  honest  to  do,  —  if  I  am  competent,"  re- 
sponded the  girl,  her  face  lighting  with  eagerness. 

"  Do  you  know  where  Mattie  Vascoe  and  Jes- 
sie Wilson  live  ?  " 

"  Yes,    miss,    down   at   the    '  Wedge.'  ' 

"Very  well,  I  wish  you  to  go  there  and 
call  on  them  both  and  learn  their  circum- 
stances. It  will  not  be  necessary  to  tell  them 


52  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

that  I  sent  you,  but  simply  allow  the  visit  to 
pass  as  the  expression  of  your  interest  in  their 
welfare.  If  they  need  food,  or  medicine,  supply 
it,  and,  let  me  add,  that  you  have  my  cordial 
permission  to  read,  converse,  or  pray  with  them, 
if  the  way  is  open.  They  will  ask  you,  possibly, 
if  you  have  found  work,  and  you  may  say  that 
you  have,  that  you  are  engaged  at  the  Van  Al- 
styne  mill.  When  you  know  what  these  two  girls 
need,  please  report  to  me." 

"The  Lord  has  answered  my  prayers.  I  ha\e 
begged  Him  to  allow  me  to  help  the  girls  whom 
I  saw  suffering,"  said  Kate,  her  eyes  full  of 
'.ears. 

"  Perhaps  it  is  not  business-like,  but  I  am  going 
to  take  as  good  care  of  my  help  as  other  man- 
ufacturers take  of  their  machinery,"  said  Miss 
Pitcairn,  with  a  rare  smile.  "  When  a  cutting 
machine  or  stock  press  is  out  of  order,  is  'ill,' 
the  machinist  is  at  once  sent  for,  and  the  ma- 
chine is  strengthened  and  helped,  until  it  runs 
smoothly  and  is  recovered  ;  but  if  a  good  box- 
maker  falls  ill,  they  let  her  go,  and  take  a  new 
hand  in  her  place.  I  shall  reverse  the  order, 
and,  therefore,  engage  you  as  superintendent  of 
repairs,  physical  and  moral,  among  my  help. 
When  all  are  well,  and  at  work  in  the  factory, 
I  shall  expect  you  to  be  here  ;  but  when  any 


"CONLON'S."  53 


are  absent  or  ill,  you  must  look  them  up,  and 
help  them  quietly  and  wisely.  Your  salary  will 
be,  to  begin  with,  twelve  dollars  a  week,  and 
Miss  Murdock  will  now  pay  you  a  week  in  ad- 
vance." 

The  new  superintendent  of  repairs  gasped  with 
astonishment. 

"  Twelve  dollars  a  month,  you  mean,  miss,"  she 
said  tremulously.  "  You  said  a  week." 

"That  is  what  I  mean,  twelve  dollars  a  week, 
and  you  can  earn  it.  By  the  bye,  I  am  not 
here  much  of  the  time,  but  will  leave  your  orders 
in  this  little  box.  I  shall  expect  you,  in  turn, 
to  make  out  reports  upon  each  case  that  comes 
under  your  notice,  giving  name  and  residence." 

"  I  will  do  my  best  to  serve  you,"  said  Kate, 
earnestly,  yet  there  was  a  ring  of  uncertainty  in 
her  voice,  for  the  thought  struck  her  that  with 
a  mistress  so  munificent  there  would  be  new 
trials  and  probable  lack  of  discipline  among  the 
employees.  As  she  counted  her  week's  pay,  her 
mute  questioning  •  was  answered  in  a  way  most 
satisfactory.  A  burly,  heavy-jawed  woman  entered 
the  office,  and  waddling  up  to  the  low  gate  that 
served  to  keep  the  public  out  of  the  space  al- 
lotted to  the  desks,  attempted  to  open  it.  In 
this  she  was  unsuccessful,  for  the  catch,  although 
simple,  was  not  ostentatiously  placed,  and  puzzled 


54  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

the  uninitiated.  When  it  dawned  upon  the  caller 
that  the  gate  did  not  open  at  her  touch,  she 
waxed  wrathful,  and  gave  it  a  violent  shake. 

"  Whom  do  you  wish  to  see  ? "  asked  Miss 
Murdock,  stepping  forward. 

"  I  want  ter  see  the  woman  boss,  and  not  you, 
Sarah  Murdock,"  was  the  reply. 

"  You   mean    Miss    Pitcairn  ?  " 

"I  don't  know  wot  'er  name  is,  and  don't 
care,  but  I  hintend  that  she  shall  'ire  me  ter  do 
the  scrubbing  'ere,  hor  I  '11  know  why." 

"  She  is  engaged  now,  and  can't  see  you,"  said 
the  assistant. 

"  Hingaged  is  she  ? "  yelled  the  termagant. 
"Well,  I'll  dishingage" 

"  Come,  Mrs.  Tarpy,  you  are  making  yourself 
a  nuisance.  I  must  request  you  to  git,"  said  a 
clear  masculine  voice,  and  the  engineer  of  the 
factory  stood  by  the  side  of  the  woman  bully. 

"Maybe  I  was  speakin'  loud,  but  I  was  that 
hanxious  to  get  work,"  said  the  woman,  suddenly 
meek  and  tractable.  "  Speak  to  the  young 
missus,  Mister  Hengineer,  and  hask  'er  ter  give 
me  a  job." 

"  No  use,  she  is  writing  letters,  and  do  n't 
allow  no  one  to  disturb  her,  so  you  had  better 
go  right  away.  If  she  wants  you,  she  will  send 
for  you,"  was  the  reply,  as  the  man  opened  the 


^CONLON'S?  55 


door  and    gently   pushed    the   wrathful    caller   out- 
side. 

"  One  of  Mr.  Betteredge's  tricks,"  said  Sarah. 
"  He,  no  doubt,  thought  so  formidable  a  person 
as  Mrs.  Tarpy  would  put  to  flight  a  whole  fac- 
tory of  girls.  She  is  the  crack  woman  fighter 
of  the  'Wedge.'" 

"  Poor  creature,  she  looked  like  a  hard  drinker, 
and  as  if  possessed  by  furies.  I  was  so  glad 
that  I  had  only  a  button  to  press  to  call  the 
engineer.  Mr.  Betteredge  evidently  is  not  aware 
that  we  have  new  means  of  communication  be- 
tween different  parts  of  the  mill,"  responded 
Belle,  turning  again  to  her  writing. 

During  this  episode,  Kate  Thomas  had  re- 
mained a  silent  spectator,  and  now  left  with  a 
look  of  satisfaction  on  her  expressive  face.  As 
she  hurried  up  the  street  toward  the  car  station, 
she  gave  vent  to  her  approval  by  a  series  ol 
emphatic  nods,  and  said,  "  She  '11  do,"  "  She  '11 
do." 

It  is  probable  that  no  one  could  have  been 
found  who  would  better  have  served  the  purpose 
of  missionary  to  the  factory  girls  than  Kate 
Thomas,  and  under  her  efficient  and  loving  care, 
the  workers,  and  indeed  many  others,  began  to 
lift  up  their  heads,  and  feel  that  there  was  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  hope  yet  left,  even  for  them. 


56  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

In  the  course  of  her  calls  upon  the  girls,  she 
found  that  at  least  half  of  them  lived  in  New 
York,  down  town,  and  on  the  East  side,  and 
rode  to  their  work  each  day  over  the  Second 
Avenue  "  L "  Road.  They  claimed  that  they 
could  live  cheaper  in  New  York,  as  they  boarded 
themselves  and  paid  but  a  trifle  for  the  tiny  at- 
tics that  they  occupied. 

As  fast  as  the  missionary's  reports  were  handed 
in,  Miss  Pitcairn  had  them  arranged  in  a  record 
book,  which  showed  at  a  glance  the  condition  of 
all  her  help,  and  incidentally  of  a  large  body  of 
women,  who,  like  them,  were  working  for  wages 
in  various  manufactories. 

It  happened  one  evening  that  Kate  had  come 
to  the  Pitcairn  mansion  by  special  request,  and 
there  discovered  that  she  had  left  her  notes  at 
her  room  on  the  East  side.  She,  therefore, 
made  her  report  verbally,  and  as  it  was  neces- 
sary that  certain  addresses  be  secured  that  even- 
ing, the  Governor's  nephew,  young  Mr.  Chick, 
volunteered  to  accompany  her  home  and  get 
them.  This  offer  on  the  part  of  a  youth  who 
was  in  every  sense  of  the  word  an  exquisite, 
and  who  was  not  given  to  self-denial,  nor  to 
good  works  of  an  unfashionable  nature,  was  a 
surprising  circumstance ;  so  much  so,  that  Belle, 
who  had  been  on  the  point  of  sending  for  a 


«  CONLOWS?  57 


messenger,  stayed  her  hand  and  allowed  the  sac- 
rifice to  be  consummated.  Behold,  then,  a  slight, 
stylish  man  of  twenty,  with  cane,  eye-glass  and 
English  habiliment,  on  his  way  toward  the  East 
side,  in  company  with  plain,  matter-of-fact  Kate 
Thomas.  A  "  cross-town "  car  took  them  to  the 
Bowery,  and  left  them  in  the  thick  of  the  jos- 
tling evening  crowd. 

"  I  beg  pardon,  but  have  we  far  to  go  ? "  in- 
quired the  young  man. 

"  Not  very,  but  perhaps  you  would  rather  wait 
here  somewhere,  and  let  me  go  and  get  the 
addresses.  It  is  n't  very  safe,  part  of  the  way," 
replied  Kate. 

"  Not  for  the  world !  I  am  perfectly  willing 
to  go  wherever  you  can." 

"  I  do  not  find  it  dangerous  to  myself  to  go. 
about  these  streets,  because  most  of  the  people 
know  that  I  am  engaged  in  missionary  work, 
and  they  never  trouble  our  kind,  but  with  you 
it  is  different,"  continued  Kate. 

"  I   presume   so,"   assented   Mr.    Chick. 

"  When  I  am  out  evenings  I  have  a  friend 
who  often  comes  to  meet  me," — said  Kate  shyly, 
a  blush  mantling  her  cheek  —  "Ah,  here  he  is. 
Let  me  introduce  you  to  Mr.  Thomas." 

"Glad  to  meet  you,  I'm  sure;  you  are  a  rel- 
ative, I  presume?"  remarked  the  young  man, 


58  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

gazing  at  the  new  comer  through  his  glass  with 
mild  approval. 

"Not  yet,  but  I  expect  to  be,  one  of  these 
days,"  replied  the  gentleman  with  a  jolly  laugh. 
"  Our  names  are  the  same,  but  that  is  merely  a 
pleasant  coincidence;  another  coincidence  is  the 
fact  that  we  both  do  missionary  work  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  '  Devil's  Wedge.' ' 

Miss  Thomas,  still  blushing,  briefly  detailed  the 
reason  for  Mr.  Chick's  visit  to  the  East  side, 
and  as  their  destination  was  quite  near,  they 
pushed  on  up  the  dark,  ill-smelling  side  street, 
that  seemed  strangely  silent,  when  contrasted 
with  the  turbulent  life  of  the  Bowery.  As  they 
left  the  lights  behind,  the  Governor's  nephew 
began  to  appear  nervous  and  to  glance  appre- 
hensively at  the  dark  doorways  and  deep  shadows 
that  lined  the  street.  Not  so  his  companions, 
however,  for  they  hurried  along,  absorbed  in  con- 
versation, threading  their  way  with  an  ease  that  be- 
tokened familiarity  with  the  uncanny  surroundings. 

"  Say,  young  feller,  tell  us  the  time,"  said  a 
hoarse  voice,  and  a  heavy  hand  was  laid  on  Mr. 
Chick's  shoulder. 

"Nine  o'clock,"  answered  Mr.  Thomas,  shortly, 
crowding  the  questioner  back,  and  hurrying  the 
others  along,  leaving  the  suspected  foot-pad  far 
behind. 


"  CONLOATS."  59 


"  Please,  fer  the  love  of  heaven,  give  me  a 
penny !  I  ain't  had  a  morsel  of  food  for  two 
days,"  came  a  plaintive  voice  from  a  doorway, 
where  could  be  dimly  seen  a  crouching  figure. 

Mr.  Chick  halted  at  once,  and  searching  for 
a  few  cents,  was  about  to  step  up  and  relieve 
this  misery,  when  his  guide  seized  his  arm  and 
hurried  him  away. 

"  What's  wrong  ? "  panted  he,  when  they  were 
a  few  doors  off. 

"  It 's  a  trick.  There  is  a  '  gang '  down  there, 
and  they  steal  from  every  body.  If  you  haa 
stepped  up  to  the  door,  they  would  likely  hit 
you  over  the  head  with  a  club,  and  strip  you 
of  all  you  possess,"  explained  Kate's  friend. 

"Horrible!"  was  the  shuddering  exclamation — 
then  after  a  pause,  — "  Say,  let 's  leave  this  pre- 
cious neighborhood.  I  'm  sure,  I  did  n't  suppose 
we  would  go  through  such  a  place.  Gracious, 
see  there ! " 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  narrow  street,  a 
man  had  been  walking  quietly  along,  when  as 
he  came  under  the  apology  for  a  street  lamp,  a 
powerfully  built  negro  had  sprung  out,  and 
catching  him  by  the  shoulders,  looked  into  his 
face  with  a  cry  of  exultation  that  was  like  the 
roar  of  a  wild  beast.  Although  taken  by  surprise, 
the  other  made  strenuous  efforts  to  break  away 


6O  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


but  without  avail,  until  by  a  sudden  trip,  the 
attacking  party  threw  him  on  his  back  and  fell 
heavily  on  him.  But  getting  a  man  down  is  not 
holding  him  there,  and  so  the  assailant  found ; 
for  in  falling,  the  smaller  man  drew  one  foot 
up  under  him,  planted  it  against  the  broad  chest 
of  the  negro,  and  straightening  it  out  with  ter- 
rific force,  threw  him  over  backwards. 

At  this  juncture  Mr.  Thomas,  followed  by  his 
companions,  hurried  across  -the  street ;  one  or 
two  burly  loungers  appeared  on  the  scene  and 
drove  the  black  away,  while  the  prostrate  man 
tried  with  difficulty  to  rise. 

"  Are  you  hurt  ? "  asked  Mr.  Thomas,  with 
solicitude. 

"Who  are  you?"  inquired  the  man,  with  a 
blood-curdling  oath. 

"Are  you   hurt?"   he   again   inquired. 

"  Yes,  I  'm  cut.  That  '  coon  '  caught  me  on 
the  leg  with  his  razor  when  I  kicked  him  off  — 
meant  the  blow  for  my  face." 

With  deft  skill  the  young  man,  used  to  emer- 
gencies, stripped  the  muscular  leg,  and  found  it 
bathed  in  blood  that  was  welling  from  a  cut 
across  the  knee. 

"Artery?"    said   the   man,  faintly. 

"Yes,"   was   the  brief   reply. 

There  was    no   time   for    extended   conversation, 


CONLON'S?  6 1 


and  all  seemed  to  know  it.  The  crowd  of  roughs 
who  had  collected,  kept  the  lesser  fry  at  a  respect- 
ful distance,  and  allowed  the  amateur  surgeon  all 
the  room  he  wanted.  Under  his  skilful  manage- 
ment a  tourniquet  was  soon  formed  with  a  silk 
handkerchief  and  a  bit  of  Mr.  Chick's  twenty- 
dollar  cane  ;  then  the  angry  jets  of  blood  ceased 
to  flow,  and  the  man's  life  was  saved. 

"  Where  does  he  live  ? "  inquired  the  young 
man,  rising  from  his  knees  and  surveying  the 
nard-looking  faces. 

"Down  at  the  'Wedge,'"  was  the  response, 
and  Miss  Thomas  realized  that  her  friend  had 
helped  one  of  her  neighbors. 

"It   is    not   far,   then?" 

"  Only  a  few  blocks.  If  you  say  so,  we  will 
fetch  a  door  and  bring  him  down  there." 

"  Very   well,    he   ought    to   be   moved   at   once." 

A  brief  delay  occurred,  while  the  door  was  be- 
ing brought,  during  which  one  of  the  crowd,  who 
bore  on  his  face  every  mark  of  the  depraved 
thief,  chased  a  boy  who  had  stolen  the  dandy's 
dainty  cane-head,  returned  to  the  crowd,  and 
made  the  frightened  youngster  beg  the  gentle- 
man's pardon  and  give  up  the  booty. 

When  the  wounded  man  was  lifted  upon  the 
stretcher,  he  said  feebly  to  Mr.  Thomas,  "Wish 
you  'd  come  on,  too." 


62  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

"But  I  ought  to  get  home,"  remonstrated  Mr. 
Chick,  horrified  at  the  idea  of  going  deeper  into 
this  wilderness  of  sin. 

"Don't  you  be  afeared,  young  feller,"  said 
a  huge  man  with  one  eye  and  an  Anarchist 
beard  —  "you  're  safe  as  you  'd  be  in  yer 
mother's  arms ;  you  '11  be  treated  right ;  do  n't 
be  afeared." 

"  Have  a  chaw  ? "  said  another,  in  a  hoarse 
growl  that  he  tried  in  vain  to  make  alluring  and 
expressive  of  friendliness. 

A  few  minutes'  walk  brought  them  to  a  dark- 
looking  building,  from  the  lower  story  of  which 
came  light  and  sounds  of  revelry. 

"  This  yer  's  the  place,"  said  the  spokesman ; 
"  shall  we  fetch  him  into  the  bar-room  ? " 

"Yes." 

So  in  went  all  hands,  and  the  crowd  that  had 
gathered  before  the  long  bar  turned  with  one 
accord  and  moved  toward  the  new  comers. 

"Now  jes  stand  back  as  fer  as  yer  kin,  gen- 
.  tlemen,"  said  a  man  whose  appearance  stamped 
him  as  a  professional  gambler.  "Con  is  hurted 
bad,  and  don't  want  to  be  bothered.  Jes  tend 
right  to  yer  drinking  there,  and  do  n't  get  in 
the  way.  After  Con  is  comfortable,  some  of  you 
might  ask  the  big  chap  an'  his  gal  an'  the 
little  red-headed  feller  up  fer  a  drink.  Ef  it 


"  CONLON'S."  63 

had  n't  been  fer  them,  the  '  old  man '  would  hev 
bled  himself  ter  death." 

In  the  rear  of  the  saloon  was  the  bed-room 
of  the  wounded  man,  and  into  this  he  was  car- 
ried and  laid  gently  on  the  couch.  Once  here, 
the  tourniquet  needed  fresh  adjustment,  and  some 
little  time  was  consumed  in  making  the  patient 
comfortable.  Then  Mr.  Thomas  turned  to  go. 

"What's  the  damage,"  asked  the  patient,  feebly 
reaching  for  his  pocket-book. 

"That  's   all   right,    no    charge,"    was   the   reply. 

"But  I'd  rather  pay  you — I  guess  I'm  able 
to  pay  my  bills  —  hey,  boys?"  This  was  said  in 
a  triumphant  tone  that  had  in  it  the  real  arro- 
gance of  the  successful  rumseller,  and  it  so 
grated  on  the  listener's  feelings  that  it  betrayed 
him  into  a  speech  that  was  far  from  safe,  con- 
sidering the  inflammable  material  gathered  in  the 
room. 

"  It  's  rum  money  !     I    never  touch  it,"  he  said. 

A  flush  dyed  the  handsome  face  of  the  liquor- 
dealer,  and  his  deep-set  eyes  burned  for  an  in- 
stant, and  then  softened  down  as  he  said,  and 
his  tone  was  almost  entreaty,  — 

"I  've  got  the  first  five-dollar  bill  that  ever  I 
earned  in  New  York  city,  when  I  was  a  young 
feller,  and  had  just  come  from  the  country.  I 
earned  it  in  an  honest  business,  and  have  kept 


64  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

it  ever  since,  as  a  sort  of  Mascot.  Will  you 
take  it?" 

The  sternness  faded  from  the  missionary's  face, 
and  his  smile  seemed  to  make  the  room  all 
alight. 

"Bless  you,  roan,"  he  said,  heartily,  "I'd  take 
that  quick  enough,  but  for  the  fact  that  I  did 
this  little  act  for  a  kindness.  I  like  to  give  a 
fellow-creature  a  lift,  without  getting  paid  for  it. 
Your  gratitude  is  enough.  I  am  glad,  very  glad, 
that  I  happened  along  in  time  to  help  you,  and 
I  hope,  when  you  are  better,  you  will  get  into 
some  honest  business.  Better  be  a  hotel  porter 
than  the  richest  rumseller  in  Christendom." 

"  I  'd  like  some  way  to  show  that  I  'm  thank- 
ful," said  the  man,  uneasily. 

"Very  well,  then,  call  the  others  in  here,  and 
let  them  listen  while  I  pray  with  you,"  said  Mr. 
Thomas,  boldly. 

The  man  hesitated  a  moment  and  then,  in  » 
tone  of  dogged  resolution,  said,  "  Sam,  open  the 
door  and  call  the  boys ! " 

The  occupants  of  the  bar-room  filed  in  till  the 
apartment  was  full,  and  those  for  whom  there 
was  no  room  stood  in  the  door-way,  or  back  in 
the  larger  room  where  every  word  could  be  heard. 

"Gentlemen,"  said  the  missionary,  looking  into 
the  faces  before  him,  "our  friend  here  has  had 


65 


a  narrow  escape  from  death.  Even  now  he  is 
not  entirely  out  of  danger.  I  believe  in  doing 
all  that  I  can,  and  then  asking  God  to  do  the 
rest.  It  has  been  my  habit  to  pray  for  those 
whom  I  try  to  help,  sometimes  in  the  presence 
of  others,  sometimes  alone  at  home.  I  am  sure 
that  many  times  God  has  heard  my  prayers,  and 
helped  those  who  were  ill  and  for  whom  I 
prayed.  Let  us  pray." 

A  sudden  silence  had  fallen  on  the  group  of 
men  and  youths  when  this  strange  address  was 
made,  and  at  its  close,  as  the  speaker  knelt  by 
the  bedside,  there  was  a  rustle  that  seemed  to 
pcrtend  flight,  but  some  power  held  them  there, 
half  willing,  half  reluctant  listeners. 

"Our  Father  in  Heaven,  look  down,  we  pray 
Thee,  and  bless  this  man  who  is  wounded. 
When  he  was  a  child  Thou  didst  know  him  by 
name ;  as  he  grew  older  and  became  a  young 
man,  and  came  to  this  great  city,  Thou  didst 
many  times  whisper  in  his  heart  of  Thy  love  for 
him,  and  of  the  grand  and  noble  manhood  he  might 
attain  by  giving  himself  to  Thee.  O  !  Why  did 
he  not  listen — why  does  he  not  now  listen,  and 
turn  from  this  dreadful  business  —  turn  from  this 
wicked  traffic  which  damns  men's  souls  ? " 

The  sharp  click  of  a  revolver  came  from  the 
bar-room,  and  almost  with  it  a  double  click  from 


66  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

the  bed.  The  missionary  heard  both,  but  prayed 
on,  — 

"  Our  Father,  he  is  Thy  child,  even  now,  as 
are  all  of  these  Thy  children,  although  they  have 
wandered  far  from  Thee.  Lead  them  back  to 
Thy  fold.  Show  them  the  sinfulness  of  their 
lives.  Let  the  light  of  Thine  own  life  shine 
into  their  hearts,  and  bring  them  into  Thy  peace. 
Lord,  we  pray,  believing  that  Thou  art  listening 
to  us,  and  that  Thou  wilt  answer  in  due  time, 
for  we  ask  these  favors,  not  in  our  own  strength, 
but  remembering  that  Jesus  Christ  died  for  us. 
Amen." 

As  he  rose  from  his  knees  his  eyes  rested 
first  on  Mr.  Chick,  who  stood  white  as  a  sheet, 
looking  out  of  the  door  into  the  bar-room.  Fol- 
lowing his  gaze,  he  saw  Betteredge,  his  face 
convulsed  by  passion,  with  a  revolver  in  his 
hand,  and  a  look  in  his  eyes  that  meant  mis- 
chief. A  glance  at  the  bed  showed  the  wounded 
man  sitting  up  with  two  pistols,  ready  to  resist 
any  attack. 

"Put  up  your  gun,  Tom,  it  's  been  done,"  said 
the  owner. 

Slowly  and  reluctantly  the  man  turned  away 
and  went  back  to  the  bar,  and  one  by  one  the 
rest  of  the  men  slipped  out.  All  were  quiet  and 
respectful,  and  some  had  a  lool  on  their  scarrec! 


"  CONLOti  S."  67 


faces  that  showed  that  the  Holy  Spirit  was 
striving,  even  in  their  calloused  hearts. 

"You  must  excuse  'big  Tom,'"  said  Conlon, — 
for  that  was  the  rumseller's  name — "you  must 
excuse  him,  for  he  and  I  agreed  long  since,  if 
any  parson  or  missionary  came  in  here  and  tried 
to  pray  or  sing,  we  would  hit  him  with  a  bot- 
tle, or  shoot  him.  Tom  is  awfully  down  on  such 
things,  and  I  s'pose  he  thought  he  had  a  right 
to  shoot." 

As  they  left,  one  of  the  listeners,  the  big  man 
with  one  eye,  said  prophetically, — 

"This  place  will  bust  now,  sure.  No  bar-rooms 
have  luck  after  they  are  prayed  in ;  not  that  I 
blame  you,  Mister,  but  you  mark  my  words, 
there  '11  be  one  less  saloon  in  the  '  Wedge '  six 
months  from  now,  and  the  one  that  's  wiped 
out  will  be  handsome  John  Conlon's." 

"I   hope   so,"   responded   the   missionary. 


58  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


V. 

Eersl=SlcU   ©/llfic. 


§BEDIENT  to  the  wish  of  his  fair  cousin, 
Mr.  Chick  appeared  at  the  Governor's  man- 
sion, one  bright  day,  prepared  to  visit  the  sec- 
tion known  as  the  "Wedge,"  where  Kate  Thomas 
had  discovered  the  little  girl,  Jack,  who  had  left 
the  factory  with  Betteredge. 

"  Are  you   ready,    Augustus  ?  "    asked   Belle. 

"Yes." 

"  With  lavender  kids  ?  "  glancing  into  the  silk 
hat  that  was  deposited  carefully  on  the  piano. 

"  Are  they  not  the  proper  shade  ?  "  was  the 
anxious  query. 

"I  am  afraid  they  look  too  new  and  'dudish' 
for  an  expedition  like  ours,  but  perhaps  it  will 
not  matter." 

"  But,  Cousin  Belle,  you  are  not  really  going 
down  to  that  horrible  place  ?  Do  you  know  its 
real  name  is  the  '  Devil's  Wedge  '  ?  " 

"  I  doubt  if  it  is  very  horrible,  for  the  mis- 
sionaries live  there,  and  in  addition  to  that  a 


AN  EAST-SIDE  ATTIC.  69 


large  number  of  our  girls  have  rooms  in  that 
vicinity.  If  they  are  not  hurt  why  should  we 
be  ?  "  was  the  reply. 

"But  this  place  has  a  very  hard  name,  and  is 
infested  with  burglars,  pick-pockets,  and  all  kinds 
of  desperate  characters  " 

"Cousin  Augustus,  are  you  afraid?"  said  Belle, 
with  a  roguish  look. 

"  Perhaps  I  am,  for  I  certainly  was  frightened 
'most  out  of  my  wits,  the  night  I  went  down 
there  with  the  Thomases." 

'-  But   you   survived  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  was  the  answer  with  a  sigh  of  resig- 
nation, "  but  I  did  n't  expect  to,  when  I  was 
there." 

"O,  well,  it's  very  different  in  daylight,  and  I 
must  find  out  more  about  that  little  Jack.  Did 
you  know  her  grandfather  was  blind  ?  Poor  old 
man  !  Kate  told  me  he  formerly  had  a  Bible 
printed  with  raised  letters,  and  that  it  had  been 
stolen,  so  I  have  purchased  him  another." 

"  I  should  n't  wonder  if  he  lost  this  one,  too," 
said  Mr.  Chick,  a  suggestion  that  was  ignored 
by  his  cousin. 

When  the  start  was  made,  the  young  gentle- 
man found  himself  utilized  as  the  bearer  of  a 
book  as  large  as  an  unabridged  dictionary,  and 
contrary  to  expectation  he  accepted  the  charge 


JO  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

very  cheerfully,  until  he  met  a  messenger  boy, 
to  whom,  with  an  expressive  wink,  he  trans- 
ferred the  bundle.  So  quietly  was  this  done, 
and  so  deeply  was  Miss  Pitcairn  engrossed  in 
her  thoughts,  that  she  did  not  notice  it  until, 
her  heart  smiting  her  at  thought  of  her  little 
relative  working  so  hard,  she  turned  to  suggest 
that  they  take  a  car,  and  then  discerned  his 
action. 

"Augustus  Chick,"  she  exclaimed,  with  true 
feminine  change  of  base,  "  are  n't  you  ashamed 
to  make  that  mite  of  a  boy  bear  your  burdens?" 

"  It 's  Scriptural  —  '  Bear  ye  one  another's  bur- 
dens,'—  he  is  bearing  mine,"  explained  the  young 
gentleman;  "besides,  I  pay  him  ten  cents  for  it." 

"  You  ought  to  give  him  ten  cents  any  way, 
he  is  so  small." 

"  Very  well,  I  will  give  him  ten  cents  any 
way,  and  ten  cents  more  for  bearing  the  bur- 
den," was  the  calm  reply.  "  Now  if  he  does  n't 
choose  to  work  for  his  money,  he  can  hire  some 
other  boy  to  carry  it  the  rest  of  the  way,  and 
pay  him  five  cents,  and  still  be  the  richer." 

"  You  are  irresistible,"  replied  his  cousin,  laugh- 
ing. 

"Thanks,"  murmured  the  youth,  blushing  slightly 
and  arranging  his  rainbow  tie  with  an  air  of  sat- 
isfied vanity. 


AN  EAST-SIDE  ATTIC.  7 1 

Since  her  promotion  Miss  Murdock  had  taken 
rooms  at  the  Young  Women's  Christian  Associa- 
tion, and  as  she  was  to  be  one  of  the  visiting 
party  they  turned  their  steps  in  that  direction. 
Answering  the  bell,  appeared  a  rosy-cheeked  girl, 
who  showed  the  visitors  into  the  waiting-room, 
where  they  had  a  full  view  of  the  broad  halls, 
and  the  constant  stream  of  young  ladies  that 
went  in  and  out  through  the  hospitable  entrance. 

It  was  Saturday  afternoon,  and  Miss  Murdock 
was  at  home  and  came  in  at  once,  looking  fresh 
and  pretty,  and  nodding  brightly  to  several  of  the 
girls  who  passed  the  open  door  as  she  was  shak- 
ing hands  with  Miss  Pitcairn  and  being  pre- 
sented to  Mr.  Chick.  After  a  little  general  chat 
the  real  business  of  the  hour,  the  visit  to  the 
blind  man,  was  broached.  Miss  Murdock  was 
more  than  willing  to  accompany  them,  and  even 
offered  to  bring  some  of  the  girls,  a  proposition 
which  the  masculine  element  of  the  party  silently 
favored,  but  one  that  was  ruled  out  on  second 
thought  as  impracticable.  In  a  few  minutes  they 
were  ready,  and  erelong  were  rattling  down  Sixth 
Avenue  in  a  crowded  elevated  train.  After  a 
time  they  took  a  "  cross  town "  car,  when  they 
were  where  they  could  reach  the  right  one,  and 
Mr.  Chick,  much  to  his  discomfort,  was  forced 
to  stand,  and  that,  too,  with  the  book  in  his 


72  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


hands,  for  the  doubly  paid  carrier  had  disap- 
peared. Miss  Murdock,  in  a  matter-of-fact  way, 
stood  up  and  paid  her  own  fare,  and  Mr.  Chick, 
without  knowing  it,  walked  the  length  of  the 
car  and  paid  it  again. 

Miss  Pitcairn  saw  the  young  lady's  action,  and 
put  it  down  as  another  instance  of  an  innocent 
independence,  which  she  greatly  admired. 

As  a  matter  of  course,  there  was  a  Saturday 
blockade,  and  a  ride,  that  in  less  crowded  streets 
would  occupy  fifteen  minutes,  consumed  a  half 
hour.  Mr.  Chick  was,  perhaps,  the  only  one  in 
the  trio  who  was  not  impatient  at  this  delay, 
and  his  content  might  be  accounted  for  by  the 
quiet  flirtation  in  which  he  was  indulging  with 
a  brunette,  with  a  cast  in  one  eye.  This  latter 
feature,  however,  was  studiously  turned  away 
from  the  smiling  young  man,  and  he  did  not 
discover  what  would  have  been  a  sudden  and 
awful  shock  to  his  critical  taste ;  yet  his  absorp- 
tion in  this  affair  was  not  so  great  that  he 
took  nc  note  of  place  and  time,  for  when  a  cer- 
tain corner  was  reached,  he  hooked  down  the 
bell-strap  by  means  of  the  claw  on  the  head  of 
his  cane,  and  with  a  farewell  glance  at  the  bru- 
nette, assisted  his  charges  to  alight. 

They  were  now  in  a  portion  of  the  city  not 
in  the  least  familiar  to  Miss  Pitcairn  or  her 


AN  EAST-SIDE  ATTIC.  73 


companion.  Even  Mr.  Chick  lost  his  reckoning, 
and  appeared  at  fault, ,  when  suddenly  Miss  Mur- 
dock  gave  a  joyful  exclamation,  and  seizing  a 
combination  of  bare  arms,  calico,  and  flaxen  hair, 
introduced  her  with,  "  Here  's  Jack  ! " 

The  little  sweeper  had  appeared  at  an  oppor- 
tune moment,  for  policemen  were  scarce,  and  in 
the  tangled  network  of  streets  had  they  en- 
countered the  usual  formula, — "Go  straight  ahead 
two  blocks,  thin  turrn  to  the  left,  an'  go  won 
block  more,  thin  ask  the  next  person  ye  mate, 
for  I  do  n't  know  where  it  is,  at  ahl "  — 
would  only  tend  to  confusion. 

Jack  gladly  accepted  the  task  of  escorting  them 
to  her  home,  after  a  few  shrewd  questions  re- 
garding their  errand.  On  the  way,  when  there 
was  room,  she  walked  by  the  side  of  Miss  Mur- 
dock,  and  Mr.  Chick  escorted  Miss  Pitcairn  and 
the  volume,  one  on  each  arm ;  when  the  way 
degenerated  into  the  width  of  the  primitive  In- 
dian trail,  by  reason  of  beer  barrels  and  other 
impediments  that  choked  the  sidewalk,  they 
walked  single  file,  Jack  leading,  and  Mr.  Chick 
in  the  rear.  Through  many  a  narrow  street  they 
went,  elbowed  by  pawn-brokers,  junk-dealers,  beg- 
gars, thieves,  and  shoals  of  children,  till  they 
were  in  the  very  heart  of  the  foulest  part  of 
the  city. 


74  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

The  people  whom  they  met  seemed  as  warped, 
distorted,  and  crooked  as  the  streets  they  trod 
and  the  tenements  that  hemmed  them  in.  Very 
rarely  was  a  healchy  face  seen ;  here  sin  and 
disease  appeared  to  have  their  strongholds. 

Closely  following  their  guide,  who  was  familiar 
with  every  crook  and  turn  of  the  devious  way, 
they  plunged  into  the  depths  of  the  reeking  set- 
tlement, and  finally  reached  a  tumble-down  lodg- 
ing-house, the  door  of  which  stood  wide  ooen. 
Swarming  up  and  down  the  stairs  were  dozens 
of  children,  ragged,  unkempt,  noisy,  and  like  their 
elders,  indulging  in  brawls,  and  expressing  their 
anger  or  approbation  by  shrill  yells,  mingled  with 
profanity.  Never  before  had  either  of  the  ladies 
been  in  such  a  place,  and  had  they  followed 
their  feelings  instead  of  their  guide,  would  have 
retreated ;  but,  repressing  this  cowardly  impulse, 
they  struggled  on,  clinging  to  the  banisters  and 
stepping  as  carefully  as  possible. 

The  weary  climb  ended  at  a  small  attic,  almost 
bare  of  furniture,  the  floor  carpetless,  the  walls 
stained  and  shattered,  showing  the  skeleton  laths 
and  yellow  beams.  The  one  window  was  open — • 
not  that  it  mattered,  for,  open  or  shut,  it  had 
but  one  whole  pane,  and  could,  at  its  best,  af- 
ford but  scanty  protection  against  the  weather. 

In    the  warmest   corner  of   the   room   sat  a  very 


AN  EAST-SIDE  ATTIC.  75 

old  man,  his  hair  and  beard  snowy  white,  while 
his  face,  though  scarred  by  age  and  penury,  was 
calm  and  peaceful.  With  a  gentleness  that  ap- 
peared strangely  foreign  to  her  nature,  Jack 
stepped  up  to  her  grandfather  and  whispered  a 
brief  sentence.  As  she  finished,  he  raised  his 
hand  and  caressed  her  bristling  hair  with  his 
long  fingers,  while  he  turned  his  beautiful  brown 
eyes  upon  the  visitors,  as  if  he  could,  indeed, 
see  and  welcome  them.  His  looks  were  all  hos- 
pitality, and  the  smile  that  grew  on  his  wrinkled 
features  gave  assurance  that,  as  Jack's  friends, 
they  would  be  considered  his. 

Without  knowing  it,  the  visitors  had  presumed 
that  their  mission  to  that  attic  would  mean  a 
few  kind  words,  a  little  money,  and  an  adieu, 
after  which  all  present  duties  would  be  finished ; 
but  somehow  the  question  of  charity  did  not 
seem  the  thing  to  consider  at  that  time.  The 
patriarch  was  so  venerable  and  dignified  that  he 
appeared  rather  some  kindly  gentleman  entertain- 
ing in  his  own  halls,  than  the  blind  peddler  who 
was  often  led  about  the  streets  by  ragged  little 
Jack. 

Miss  Pitcairn  was  the  first  to  solve  the  riddle 
of  embarrassment  that  had  fallen  upon  them  all, 
by  taking  the  book  from  the  hands  of  Mr. 
Chick  and  saying,  — 


HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


"  We  understand  from  your  granddaughter,  sir, 
that  you  greatly  miss  the  raised-letter  Bible  from 
which  you  learned  to  read." 

"  I   do,"   was   the   instant   and    eager   reply. 

"  I  have  taken  the  liberty  of  bringing  you 
another,  and  beg  that  you  will  accept  it." 

The  young  lady  spoke  hastily,  and  her  voice 
had  in  it  a  tone  of  entreaty  that  would  have 
moved  one  with  far  less  sensitive  ears  than  the 
blind.  As  it  was,  the  old  man  listened  with  de- 
light not  alone  to  the  news  that  was  in  itself 
of  great  gladness  to  him,  but  as  well  to  the 
sympathetic  tones  that  were  so  unusual.  Who 
can  tell  what  vision  grew  in  the  patriarch's 
mind,  as  that  voice  set  the  finely  attuned  chords 
to  vibrating  ?  No  doubt  it  was  a  beautiful  pic- 
ture, of  a  maiden,  pure,  fresh,  and  lovely,  full 
of  all  gentleness,  breathing  kindness  and  love  ; 
and,  in  truth,  was  not  the  blind  man's  estimate 
as  sure  and  true  as  that  of  more  skilled  ob- 
servers ? 

"  I    thank   you,    my   daughter,"    he   said. 

It  was  a  simple  speech,  and  might  have  seemed 
lacking  in  the  grace  of  true  thankfulness,  but  to 
Belle  Pitcairn  it  was  eloquent  with  feeling,  for 
she  understood  the  emotion  too  deep  for  words. 

During  his  brief  word  of  thanks,  the  intelli- 
gent fingers  had  been  seeking  the  chapter  head- 


AN  EAST-SIDE  ATTIC.  77 


ings,  and  in  a  short  time  were  at  home.  Then 
ensued  a  strange  service.  In  a  low,  clear  voice, 
the  old  man  read  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount, 
and  as  he  read  the  sad  eyes  roved  from  one  to 
another  of  his  listeners,  as  if  he  spoke  with 
them  personally,  and  the  periods  of  that  match- 
less discourse  fell  on  the  ear,  producing  an  im- 
pression never  to  be  forgotten. 

Even  Mr.  Chick  was  awed  by  the  majesty  of 
the  scene,  and  saw  not  its  incongruities,  while 
Jack,  perched  upon  the  swaying  footboard  of  the 
attenuated  bed,  listened,  and  the  lines  about  her 
mouth  had  less  of  the  hardness,  and  her  keen 
blue  eyes  were  soft  and  tender. 

The  sermon  finished,  without  comment,  all  shook 
hands,  and  again  piloted  by  the  little  girl,  descended 
the  stairs,  passed  through  the  crowded  streets,  and 
gained  the  better  portion  of  the  city,  and  soon 
after,  weary  and  thoughtful,  reached  home. 

"  Say,  Cousin  Belle,  what  address  did  the  little 
girl  give  you  when  you  left  ?  "  asked  Chick,  as 
they  parted. 

"  Number  10  Midnight  Street,  east  corner  of 
the  'Wedge.'" 

"  So  I  thought  —  it  's  the  very  place,"  was  the 
mysterious  reply. 

"Have  you  ever  been  in  that  house  before?" 
inquired  the  Governor's  daughter,  with  interest. 


HER  OP.  ORTUNITY, 


"Cordon's  saloon,  where  Miss  Thomas  and  T 
spent  a  very  disagreeable  evening,  occupies  the 
lower  part  of  the  house,"  said  the  little  man. 

"Well,  we  certainly  were  not  harmed  by  the 
proximity  of  that  dreadful  place.  I  'm  sorry  it 
is  so  near,  for  I  intend  to  see  considerable  of 
Jack  and  her  grandfather.  I  wonder  why  it  is 
he  won't  allow  her  to  come  back  to  the  factory, 
and  I  wonder  further  what  Mr.  Bcttcrcdge  has 
to  do  with  the  matter,"  replied  Belle. 

True  to  her  determination,  she  called  whenever 
she  had  leisure,  and  always  found  a  cordial  wel- 
come, but  with  all  her  efforts  she  was  not  able 
to  impress  the  blind  man  with  the  advisability 
of  allowing  his  child  to  return  to  the  mill,  al- 
though she  was  earning  but  a  scanty  living  sell- 
ing papers  on  the  street. 

In  spite  of  her  desire  to  ease  the  poverty  of 
their  lot,  and  to  place  them  where  they  could 
be  more  comfortable  than  in  their  present  quar- 
ters, she  found  herself  opposed  by  a  strange 
pride  that  was  difficult  to  understand. 

The  grandfather,  although  kindly,  thankful,  and 
humble,  was,  in  matters  pcrtr.ining  to  his  or  the 
child's  family  history,  sti  mgely  silent,  and 
sometimes  it  appeared  as  if  this  reticence  was 
the  result  of  some  sort  of  terrorism  exercised 
by  a  dominant  evil  will.  Of  this  there  was  no 


AN  EAST-SIDE  ATTIC.  79 

tangible  proof,  and  the  visitor  could  not  say  but 
that  it  was  a  romantic  fancy,  and  thus  it  hap- 
pened that  while  the  two  attic  dwellers  received 
many  comforts  from  Miss  Belle,  neither  the  plans 
for  Jack's  education,  nor  the  idea  of  securing 
for  the  grandparent  a  place  in  an  institution  for 
the  blind,  were  carried  out. 

During  this  waiting  period  in  the  fortunes 
of  these  two,  another  actor  was  added  to 
the  scene  in  the  person  of  Mr.  John  Bucking- 
ham. It  happened  that  he  was  out  for  a  walk, 
and  was  crossing  Union  Square  when  he  awoke 
from  a  fit  of  abstraction  to  find  a  little  girl  run- 
ning by  his  side,  holding  up  a  paper,  and 
crying,  — 

"Say,    mister,    buy    my    last   paper?" 

He  was  about  to  comply,  when  she  was  gone, 
and  her  place  filled  by  a  half-grown  boy,  who 
shook  his  fist  at  her  and  cursed,  even  as  he 
proffered  his  own  papers  in  a  voice  that  sounded 
as  if  it  emanated  from  a  fog-horn. 

"  That  is  right,  my  boy,  whenever  you  get  a 
chance  hit  the  girls !  When  you  grow  up  maybe 
you  will  marry  one  of  them,  and  then  you  can 
kick  her  down  stairs,  and  throw  lamps  at  her, 
and  have  lots  of  fun,"  remarked  the  Professor. 

The  boy  looked  iito  the  smiling  face  a  bit 
doubtfully,  and  said,  — 


8O  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

"  Paper,    sir  ?  " 

Deep  down  into  his  pocket  went  the  gentle- 
man's hand,  and  among  jingling  coins  he  felt  for 
some  small  change.  The  newsboy's  eyes  bright- 
ened, and  he  stood  expectant  with  paper  all 
ready,  while  the  rival  vender  drew  nearer  and 
watched  the  transaction  with  longing  eyes. 

"  I  suppose  if  that  girl  does  n't  sell  her  papers 
she  will  have  to  go  hungry  —  but  we  don't 
care,  do  we?"  continued  he,  still  hunting  for  a 
nickel. 

"No-o,"  said  the  boy,  giving  the  child  a 
quick,  comprehensive  glance. 

"  H'oh,  he's  guyin'  yer,  he's  goin'  to  buy  of 
me,  anyhow,"  shouted  she,  executing  a  grotesque 
dance. 

"You  shut  up!"  called  back  the  boy,  looking 
about  for  a  stone. 

"Yes,  shut  up!"  echoed  the  gentleman.  "Girls 
have  no  business  to  be  heard,  nor  to  sell  papers, 
nor  to  do  any  thing  but  starve.  Get  a  stone 
and  fling  at  her,  or  hit  her  with  a  club.  If  we 
only  had  a  shot-gun  we  could  shoot  her,  could  n't 
we,  my  lad  ?  " 

The  youngster  hesitated  a  minute,  kicked  the 
ground  awkwardly  with  t  is  bare  toes,  and  said, — 

"Huh!  you're  an  old  wind-bag!"  and  was  off 
across  the  street,  leaving  the  field  to  the  first 


AN  EAST-SIDE  ATTIC.  8 1 


comer.  In  less  time  than  it  takes  to  write  it, 
the  girl,  \vho  was  none  other  than  Jack,  sold 
her  paper,  and  walking  by  the  purchaser's  side, 
was  answering  his  questions. 

"  So  your  grandfather  is  blind,  is  he,  and  can 
read  with  his  fingers  ?  Now,  how  does  it  happen 
that  he  has  any  thing  to  read  ?  Those  books 
are  expensive." 

"  Oh,  some  of  our  friends  pervided  for  that," 
was  the  lofty  reply.  "  They  gave  us  a  little 
surprise  party.  Miss  Pitcairn  was  at  the  head  of 
it.  She,  an'  her  feller,  an'  another  girl,  come  an' 
give  the  book.  Oh,  but  ain't  her  feller  a  daisy . 
He  had  a  necktie  that  would  make  you  dizzy, 
an'  his  teeth  was  gold-mounted." 

"  What   Miss    Pitcairn   was   this  ? " 

"The  Guv'ner's  darter.  One  of  the  first  fam- 
blies.  They  eat  on  gold  and  silver  plates,  with 
dimind  spoons.  They  owns  most  all  of  Fifth 
Avenyer,  an'  they  live  there  winters." 

"  So,"  thought  the  Professor,  "  our  rich  society 
belle  has  been  visiting  the  poor,  and  giving 
away  Bibles.  But  who  was  the  strange  neck- 
tie fellow?  Necktie  —  um  —  necktie  —  all  the  fel- 
lows wear  rainbow  ties."  Then  turning  to  Jack, 
"Little  girl,  did  this  young  man  have  red  hair?" 

"  Yes,    'n'  red  side-lights,  an'  his  name  is  Hen." 

"Hen?  —  I   see — ym    mean    Chick." 


82  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


"  So  't  was,  Chick.  I  remember  now.  I  s'pose 
he'll  be  a  hen,  though,  when  he  gets  a  little 
bigger  —  Chick  ;  so  't  was." 

"And  who  was  the  third  person,  the  other 
lady?" 

"  She   works   in   the    '  Box  Shop.' ' 

Here,  then,  was  news,  and  the  Professor,  as 
he  walked  on  and  on,  pondered  it.  He  had  a 
strong  desire  to  see  this  old  man  in  whom  the 
beautiful  Miss  Pitcairn,  the  radiant  Mr.  Chick, 
and  the  unknown  young  lady  had  taken  so  un- 
accountable an  interest.  By  way  of  experiment, 
he  said, — 

"I  presume  there  is  no  one  ill  in  your  family?" 

He  ought  to  have  said  sick,  and  was  forced 
to  put  his  question  in  more  intelligible  form. 

"Gran'dad  's  sick,"  the  child  returned,  gravely. 
"  He  's  bilious,  anyhow,  but  this  is  the  biliousest 
turn  he  ever  had.  Ain't  ben  down  stairs  for 
two  weeks.  Say,  mister,  if  you  '11  come  up  an' 
see  him,  I  '11  pay  you  if  you  cure  him." 

"  No  cure,  no  pay,"  laughed  he,  highly  amused. 
"  All  right,  lead  the  way,  but  I  'm  not  a  phy- 
sician." 

They  were  almost  there,  and  a  few  steps  farther 
on  were  threading  the  same  paths  that  the 
former  exploring  party  had  passed  over.  There 
was  a  more  villanous-looking  cro'vd  out  now, 


AN  EAST-SIDE  ATTIC.  83 

for  it  was  night,  and  several  times  the  athletic 
Professor  unceremoniously  shouldered  some  surly 
fellow  out  of  his  way,  and  by  his  determined 
air,  as  well  as  by  the  breadth  of  his  shoulders, 
won  a  respect  that  averted  trouble. 

With  Jack  in  the  lead,  he  groped  his  way  up 
the  long  flights  of  stairs,  and  at  last  stood  in 
the  presence  of  the  blind.  As  usual,  the  good 
face  and  benign  manner  had  their  effect,  and 
the  visitor  no  longer  wondered  at  Miss  Pitcairn's 
interest.  Even  to  Mr.  Buckingham's  unprofes- 
sional eyes,  the  old  man  appeared  weak  and  near 
to  death,  though  not  from  disease.  It  was  sim- 
ply the  going  out  of  the  lamp  of  life,  because 
the  vital  forces  had  been  expended.  All  that 
could  be  done  was  to  prescribe  nourishing  food, 
and  good  care,  and  make  him  as  comfortable  as 
possible.  With  characteristic  promptitude,  the 
visitor  wrote  a  note  to  a  friend,  a  missionary 
who  knew  every  in  and  out  of  that  part  of  the 
city,  instructing  him  what  to  get,  and  directing 
him  to  send  the  bills  to  him.  Then,  with  a 
good-by,  he  was  gone,  leaving  a  bright,  crisp 
bill  in  Jack's  hand. 

Two  days  after  this  visit,  the  blind  man 
breathed  his  last.  His  death  was  as  peaceful 
and  painless  as  his  life  had  been  blameless,  and, 
although  conscious  to  the  last,  he  seemed  not  to 


84  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

worry  about  Jack,  but  to  be  assured  that  she 
would  be  cared  for.  At  the  last  moment  he 
called  one  of  the  neighbors,  and  asked  him  to 
post  a  letter,  which  he  did,  returning  in  time  to 
assure  the  sender  that  the  errand  was  done. 

When  this  great  affliction  came,  Jack  was  al- 
most desperate,  and  spent  her  time  wandering 
about  in  a  sort  of  stupor,  living  she  could  not 
tell  how.  At  this  particular  time  Miss  Pitcairn 
was  very  busy,  and  a  week  fled  swift-winged 
before  she  had  time  to  go  to  the  "Wedge." 
The  Professor  also,  unconscious  that  his  friend 
was  out  of  town,  and  had  not  received  his  note, 
staid  away,  fully  occupied  with  college  affairs. 

Thus  Jack,  apparently  deserted  by  all,  daily 
grew  more  pinched-looking,  and  cried  herself  to 
sleep  every  night. 

The  meager  funeral  rites  were  attended  to  by 
the  city,  and  the  child,  more  desolate  than  ever 
before  in  her  lonely  life,  started  out  to  sell  a 
few  papers  to  get  money  enough  for  supper. 

The  letter  that  the  old  blind  man  caused  to 
be  maiied  before  his  death  was  addressed  to 
Miss  Pitcairn,  the  superscription  written  in  a 
neighbor's  sprawling  hand,  while  the  note  within 
was  by  the  grandfather,  in  raised  letters  pro- 
duced by  pin  pricks  through  the  paper.  The  ad- 
dress being  far  from  correct,  it  wrs  some  days 


Atf  EAST-SIDE  ATTIC.  8$ 

before    Belle    received   it,   and    its    contents   start- 
led  her.     It   i  ead  : 

UNDER    THE    WASTE     LEAF    IN     MY 
BIBLE     IS     A     PAPER     THAT     WILL 
TELL   WHO  JACK    IS --AND   THE    WILL 
--TAKE    THE    CHILD    AWAY,    OR    SHE 
WILL     BE 

It  was  not  finished,  nor  was  it  signed,  and 
Belle,  alarmed  at  its  vagueness,  hurried  at  once 
to  the  "  Wedge,"  but  could  find  neither  Jack 
nor  her  grandfather.  After  a  deal  of  question- 
ing, she  learned  of  the  latter's  death,  but  as  to 
what  had  become  of  the  little  girl,  not  a  soul 
could  tell.  It  is  true,  Mrs.  Tarpy  asserted,  that. 
"  a  huncle  of  the  girl  'ad  lugged  'er  hoff,"  but 
as  there  was  no  one  to  corroborate  this  story, 
and  as  the  woman  herself  seemed  not  to  believe 
it,  her  listener  was  skeptical. 

"Do  you  know  what  became  of  the  large  book 
the  blind  man  read  ? "  inquired  the  young  lady. 

No  one  knew  till  Mrs.  Tarpy  remembered  to 
have  seen  the  "  hold  man  a-lightin'  of  'is  fire 
with  paper  that  looked  as  hif  it  might  be  from 
tb.at  buke,  an'  he  looked  terrible  'shamed  w'en 
he  see  me  a-watchin'  or  'im." 

As    there    was    neither    stove    nor    fireplace    in 


86  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

the  room,  and  as  the  blind  man  was  not  in  the 
habit  of  seeing  people,  this  tale  did  not  impress 
the  audience  deeply,  while  Miss  Pitcairn  began 
to  think  that  Mrs.  Tarpy  might  know  where 
both  the  child  and  the  book  were. 

In  the  midst  of  this  cross-questioning,  which 
took  place  in  the  bare  attic  that  had  once  been 
Jack's  home,  and  that  now  was  awaiting  another 
tenant,  there  came  a  brisk  step  on  the  stairs, 
and  Professor  Buckingham  stood  in  the  open 
door.  His  face  lighted  with  pleasure  when  he 
saw  the  visitor,  but  for  some  reason,  she  colored 
deeply,  and  to  hide  her  confusion,  spoke  hastily. 

"  Do   you   know   where  Jack   is,    Professor  ? " 

"  Is  n't   she   here  ?  " 

"  No,  she  has  been  gone  two  days.  Do  you 
know  that  poor  old  man  died  all  alone,  and  Jack 
has  gone  out  into  the  world  without  a  friend?" 
Her  voice  broke,  and  the  beautiful  eyes  were 
full  of  tears. 

"  But  Mr.  Thomas,  the  missionary,  has  been 
here,  and  has  helped  them  through.  He  doubt- 
less knows  where  the  little  girl  is." 

"Ah,  yer  honor,  he  was  here  this  marning, 
an'  said  as  how  he'd  got  the  letther,  but  he'd 
been  away  on  a  bit  av  a  vacashin,  an'  had  only 
jist  got  back,"  said  a  toothless  old  dame. 

The  gentleman  looked  grave.   "Poor  little  Jack!" 


AN  EAST-SIDE  ATTIC.  8? 

he  said,  and  then  was  silent  for  a  moment,  in 
deep  thought.  "I'm  sorry  —  very  sorry.  I  should 
have  gone  in  person  to  Thomas'  place,  and  then 
there  could  have  been  no  mistake.  Jack,  how- 
ever, can  not  be  far  off.  She  will,  without  doubt, 
come  back  here,  and  if  she  does,  one  of  these 
good  women  will  come  and  tell  us,  and  earn  a 
five-dollar  bill." 

At  this  juncture  a  new-comer  arrived,  none 
other  than  Mr.  Chick,  who  had  been  down  to 
the  corner  to  see  the  intelligent  policeman,  and 
inquire  if  he  knew  any  thing  of  the  missing 
child.  As  usual,,  he  had  helped  deepen  the 
mystery  to  the  best  of  his  ability. 

"  Is  it  Tom  Daly's  Jack  ye  mane,  the  won 

wid  the  cast  in  his oho  !  it 's  a  girl,  is  it  ? 

An'  she  named  Jack !  Maybe  it 's  ould  man 
Connor's  Jack,  he 's  about  that  age,  but  thin 
he 's  a  b'y  too.  I  have  it,  there 's  little  Jack 
Dempsey  sells  papers." 

"Is    he   a   girl?" 

"  Bad  cess  to  it,  no.  He 's  a  bye,  too,  — 
sure  that 's  the  trouble,  not  one  of  the  b'ys 
around  here  is  a  girl.  Now  if  her  .ould  man  had 
named  her  Mary,  or  some  dacent  girl's  name, 
sure  I  could  aisy  find  her,  but  wid  a  b'y's 
name,  how  is  a  body  to  know  but  phat  she 's 
somebody  else  ?  " 


88  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

With  this  report,  Mr.  Chick  returned  to  the 
attic,  and  there  met  the  Professor,  with  whom 
he  shook  hands,  and  then  stepping  in  front  of 
him,  gave  his  whole  attention  to  Miss  Pitcairn. 

When  a  man,  five  feet  one  inch  in  height, 
steps  in  front  of  a  six-footer,  the  eclipse  is  not 
as  total  as  it  might  be,  and  of  this  fact  Mr. 
Chick  was  aware.  Had  he  been  able  to  add  a 
cubit  to  his  stature,  then  and  there,  how  gladly 
would  he  have  done  it,  for  that  exasperating 
Professor  talked  calmly  over  his  head,  as  if  no 
obstruction  were  there.  The  thought  that  his 
friend  might  make  up  his  mind  to  accompany 
Miss  Pitcairn  home,  and  leave  him  to  walk  be- 
hind, occurred  to  the  little  man,  and  he  turned 
pale  with  apprehension,  and  when  the  toothless 
old  woman  absorbed  the  young  lady's  attention 
for  a  moment,  he  said,  — 

"  Say,  Professor,  I  escorted  my  cousin  here  by 
particular  request." 

"All  right,  I  comprehend,"  was  the  good- 
humored  reply,  "  but  do  n't  allow  any  harm  to 
come  to  her,  or  I  shall  never  forgive  you." 

"  What  does  he  mean  by  that,  now  ? "  thought 
Mr.  Chick.  "  Does  he  speak  as  a  friend,  or  a 
possible  suitor  ?  I'd  like  to  know,  for  that's  a 
pretty  bold  speech  for  a  man  to  make  to  an 
escort.  These  professional  men  have  a  way  of 


AN  EAST-SIDE  ATTIC.  89 

expressing  all  sorts  of  sentiments  that  may  be 
professional,  or  may  be  something  else,  and 
there 's  no  way  of  pinning  them  down,  and  rind- 
ing out  what  they  mean.  It  gives  them  a  great 
advantage  over  the  rest  of  the  fellows,  and  first 
thing  one  knows,  they  have  stepped  in  and  cut 
out  better  men,  by  means  of  this  privilege." 


9O  HER  OPPORTUNITY 


VI. 


p.  etll. 


JN  the  fashionable  part  of  the  gayest  city  in 
our  country  are  some  pleasures  that  are  far 
from  being  follies,  and  of  these  the  reading  clubs 
are  perhaps  the  most  conspicuous.  One  of  these 
clubs,  known  as  the  Shakespeare  Circle,  flourished 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  Pitcairn  residence,  whose 
members,  while  attending  select  parties,  enter- 
tainments, and  receptions,  were  not  so  absorbed 
by  these  allurements  as  to  be  blind  to  more 
intellectual  gratifications.  The  purpose  of  culti- 
vating genuine  literary  and  aesthetic  taste  had 
originated  this  society.  It  was  exceedingly  select, 
being  one  of  the  few  in  Gotham  where  wealth 
alone  did  not  provide  instant  admission.  The 
members,  without  exception,  were  of  good  birth 
and  breeding,  most  of  them  wealthy,  while  some 
were  distinguished  for  literary  or  artistic  work 
that  had  attracted  wide  attention.  Every  Wed- 
nesday evening  the  Circle  met  and  discussed 
current  literature  for  a  while,  and  then,  taking 


ARM  IT  AGE  HALL.  9 1 

up  the  work  of  the  greatest  poet,  spent  the  rest 
of  the  evening  upon  it.  At  times  this  course  of 
procedure  was  varied,  and  some  other  writer  or 
essayist  claimed  attention,  and  by  skilful  rendi- 
tion; subtle  analysis,  or  sparkling  wit,  was  the 
text  of  many  a  classic  made  to  glow  with  new 
and  beautiful  meaning. 

It  was  at  the  home  of  Mrs.  John  Armitage 
that  the  Circle  met  on  the  particular  evening  we 
have  in  mind.  One  of  the  most  beautiful  and 
cultured  women  of  New  York  was  this  young 
Mrs.  Armitage,  who,  possessed  of  rare  taste,  made 
her  home  a  temple  of  art.  Unlike  any  other  in 
the  city,  in  the  arrangement  of  rooms  and  in  dec- 
oration, it  was  simple,  elega«t,  a  poem  through- 
out, and  pervaded  by  a  rare  atmosphere  of 
homelikeness  that  imparted  a  sense  of  security 
and  rest.  This  perfection,  however,  was  notice- 
able only  on  the  inside,  the  exterior  of  the  house 
appearing  like  its  neighbors,  a  plain,  substantial 
brown-stone,  so  similar  to  the  ordinary  city 
dwelling  that  a  stranger  would  detect  nothing 
unusual  about  it. 

The  hostess  was  lovely  in  person  and  in  mind, 
admired  by  all  who  knew  her,  and  much  loved 
by  intimate  friends.  On  the  evening  in  ques- 
tion, she  had  as  a  guest  one  who  was  most 
welcome  to  th^  Circle,  a  cousin  of  her  husband, 


92  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

a  young  man  upon  whom  mammas  with  marriage- 
able daughters  were  known  to  smile  with  excep- 
tional sweetness,  for  he  was  unmarried,  wealthy, 
finely  educated,  and  one  of  the  most  brilliant 
financiers  that  Wall  Street  had  known. 

Although  still  young,  he  was  the  President  of 
a  large  railroad  corporation,  had  formed  powerful 
syndicates  that  had  been  successful,  and  was 
many  times  the  millionaire.  The  knowledge  that 
he  expended  something  like  a  thousand  dollars  a 
week  on  his  yacht,  that  he  travelled  about  the 
country  in  a  special  car,  magnificently  fitted, 
that  he  drove  the  finest  horses  to  be  seen  on 
the  Avenue,  while  not  quite  passing  him  into 
this  select  Circle,  certainly  detracted  nothing  from 
his  charm  of  manner,  his  broad  fund  of  general 
knowledge,  and  his  position  as  a  relative  of  Mrs. 
Armitage. 

Strange  as  it  may  appear,  Stanley  Armitage 
was  not  to  all  appearance  spoiled  by  the  flattery 
of  fortune,  or  of  the  world.  He  was  ever  well- 
bred,  and  said  the  right  thing  at  the  proper  time, 
but  whether  this  was  sincerity,  or  native  tact,  was 
not  rigidly  looked  into. 

During  the  "preliminaries,"  the  gathering  guests 
discussed,  as  a  rule,  society  events,  and  found 
the  time  brief  enough  for  the  constant  happen- 
ings. 


ARM  IT  AGE  HALL,  93 

"Dear  Mrs.  Armitage,  will  not  Miss  Pitcairn 
be  here  to-night  ? "  inquired  a  tall,  slender  lady 
in  black,  who  had  dropped  fashionable  life  long 
enough  to  produce  a  brochure  that  had  won  her 
instant  and  lasting  recognition. 

"  I  sincerely  hope  so,  Miss  Simderlin,  for  we 
miss  her  sadly  when  she  absents  herself.  She  is 
such  a  charming  young  lady,"  replied  the  hostess. 

"  She  won't  be  here,"  announced  a  petite  bru- 
nette, with  sparkling  black  eyes  that  had  played 
havoc  with  many  a  manly  heart.  "  Did  you  not 
know  that  she  had  found  more  congenial  com- 
panions ? " 

"Prepare  for  some  absurdity!"  said  Mrs.  Ar- 
mitage,  smiling  at  the  young  girl's  roguish  look. 

"  An  absurdity,  I  grant,  but  not  of  my  man- 
ufacture. Belle  Pitcairn  has  gone  into  business!" 

"  Into   business  ?  " 

"  Yes,  beloved  friends !  that  is,  she  has  bought 
a  mill  up  in  Harlem,  and  goes  up  there  every 
day,  and  she  told  me  that  she  should  be  too 
busy  to  come  over  here  this  evening.  She  is 
doing  it  as  a  charity,  you  know,  because  the 
help  were  just  about  starving." 

"I'm  sure  it's  very  sweet  of  her,"  murmured 
Mrs.  Armitage,  but  without  enthusiasm,  looking 
over  at  her  husband's  cousin,  who  was  sitting  an 
unobtrusive  listener  to  this  conversation.  If  his 


94  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

looked  expressed  any  thing,  it  was  incredulity, 
slightly  tinctured  with  disapproval. 

"  Of  course  she  does  not  go  there  in  person, 
but  delegates  that  to  some  one  else  ? "  interro- 
gated Miss  Sunderlin. 

"She  goes  herself,  and  has  a  desk,  and  shakes 
hands  with  them,  and  —  and  —  asks  after  their 
families,"  said  the  informant,  concluding  in  the 
midst  of  a  general  laugh,  at  the  sparseness  of 
her  information, 

"A  grave  misdemeanor,  surely.  I  can  not  im- 
agine how  she  can  so  far  forget  herself  as  to 
inquire  after  ,  the  family  of  a  person,  who  must 
necessarily  be  a  person  of  no  family  at  all,"  said 
Mr.  Armitage  with  a  smile. 

"  Behold  what  fine  sarcasm  he  brings  to  his 
aid,  to  champion  the  cause  of  the  absent  one," 
returned  the  brunette. 

"  No  sarcasm,  I  assure  you,  but  I  think  so- 
ciety can  trust  the  daughter  of  Governor  Pit- 
cairn  among  the  Harlemites,"  was  the  reply. 

The  brunette  bit  her  lips  with  vexation,  and 
subsided,  while  Mrs.  Armitage,  seeing  that  her 
relative  did  not  intend  to  have  Miss  Pitcairn 
discussed,  by  even  her  intimates,  in  a  way  I. hat 
implied  discredit,  called  the  meeting  to  order, 
by  tapping  with  a  pencil  on  a  tiny  Japanese 
god,  and  announced  the  topic  for  discussion. 


ARMITAGE  HALL.  95 

• 

As  was  prophesied,  Belle  did  not  appear  at 
the  Circle  that  evening,  and  after  the  last  guest 
had  departed,  Stanley  Armitage  sat  down  near 
his  cousin's:  wife,  and  asked  in  a  tone  of  an- 
noyance, — 

"Do  you  imagine,  Bess,  that  there  is  any  truth 
in  this  tale?" 

"  I  'm  sure,  I  do  not  know.  Belle  is  different 
from  the  ordinary  girl.  That  she  takes  an  un- 
accountable interest  in  persons  who  are  far  be- 
neath her,  I  have  noticed  with  surprise ;  but  it 
is  in  all  probability  only  girlish  romance.  Why 
not  call  and  see  her,  and  ascertain  for  yourself 
what  she  has  been  about  ?  If  she  has  gone  into 
business,  to  the  exclusion  of  her  society  duties, 
I  am  sure  it  will  not  be  difficult  to  bring  her 
back.  Indeed,  I  am  almost  certain  that  the  peo- 
ple with  whom  she  comes  in  contact  will  teach 
her  to  value  those  of  her  own  station  more  than 
ever." 

It  would  seem  from  the  foregoing  that  Mr. 
Armitage  had  more  than  a  passing  interest  in 
the  fair  daughter  of  the  Governor,  and  had  not 
scrupled  to  make  it  known  to  his  cousin.  She, 
in  turn,  was  delighted  that  he  should  appreciate 
a  person  so  gifted  and  lovely  as  Miss  Pitcairn, 
and  the  Shakespeare  Circle  had  been  to  her 
mind  the  very  place  to  bring  them  together.  A 


HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


small  cloud  had  risen,  however,  in  this  new 
fancy  of  the  beautiful  girl,  that  led  her  to  ab- 
sent herself  from  the  meetings  and  to  step 
down  among  plebeians.  She  was  not  by  any 
means  discouraged  by  the  prospect,  for  did  she 
not  know  that  her  cousin  could  marry  practi- 
cally whom  he  pleased  ?  With  a  false  estimate 
of  the  power  of  money,  she  was  sure  that  none 
could  be  found  who  would  refuse  the  most  de- 
sirable parti  in  New  York.  Had  the  clever 
woman  but  known  it,  there  was  not  the  least 
chance  that  Belle  would  care  for  this  man  be- 
cause of  his  wealth,  or  his  position  ;  but  when 
it  came  to  his  rare  tact,  pleasant  companionship, 
and  fine  appearance,  there  was  opportunity  for 
her  actually  to  fall  in  love. 

Quite  sure  that  Belle  would  yet  be  her  cous- 
in's wife,  Mrs.  Armitagc  was  not  willing  that 
her  name  should  be  coupled  with  any  acts  of 
philanthropic  enthusiasm  that  would  furnish  a 
topic  for  busy  tongues,  and  in  this  she  felt 
quite  sure  she  had  the  full  sympathy  of  her  rela- 
tive. The  manner  in  which  he  looked  upon  the 
working  people,  especially  of  the  lower  classes, 
is  difficult  of  description.  Perhaps  it  was  as  much 
a  systematic  overlooking  of  their  existence  as 
any  thing  ;  a  feeling  that  they  were  of  a  differ- 
ent world,  of  little  consequence,  and  of  less 


ARMITAGE  HALL.  97 

interest.  When  circumstances  throw  a  person  of 
Armitage's  stamp  in  with  a  man  of  lower  sta- 
tion than  himself,  and  he  is  obliged  to  speak 
with  him,  it  is  in  a  manner  that  chills  the  heart 
of  the  poor  fellow,  for  it  is  cold,  calm,  grave, 
with  no  kindly  courtesy,  with  no  spark  of  human 
sympathy.  Such  a  man  is  never  loved  except 
among  his  most  intimate  friends,  where  he  is 
usually  as  courteous  and  affable  as  possible,  and 
in  unbending  with  rare  smile  and  clever  speech, 
is  often  valued  the  more,  because  of  the  fru- 
gality with  which  he  dispenses  these  favors. 

Mr.  Armitage  was  of  this  type  except  in  busi- 
ness, where  he  was  keen,  cool,  incisive,  and 
many  times  daring,  even  to  the  verge  of  folly. 

On  the  afternoon  following  the  meeting  of  the 
Shakespeare  Circle,  Mrs.  Armitage,  driving  up 
town,  had  stopped  at  the  Governor's  and  carried 
Belle  off  to  dine  at  her  home.  The  young  lady 
knew  intuitively  that  this  meant  that  Stanley 
Armitage  had  returned  from  his  tour  of  railroad 
inspection,  and  wished  to  enjoy  one  of  the  quiet 
dinners  for  which  his  cousin  was  famous,  and  in 
the  old  cordial  way  that  had  made  Belle  a  fre- 
quent guest.  What  cosy  meals  those  of  the  past 
had  been,  with  only  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Armitage  and 
the  millionaire  cousin,  with  the  Governor  and 
his  wife,  and  Belle !  How  easily  things  moved 


98  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


in  this  Palace  Beautiful,  and  what  a  treasure  of 
a  French  cook  took  charge  of  the  cuisine! 

To-day  the  party  would  be  diminished  by  the 
absence  of  Mrs.  Pitcair.n,  but  the  host  promised 
to  bring  the  Governor  up  in  his  carriage  so  that 
no  feeling  of  loneliness  could  oppress  Belle. 

When  the  fair  young  guest  arrived,  Stanley 
was  in  the  elegant  smoking-room,  enjoying  a 
choice  Havana.  He  quickly  threw  it  away,  and 
in  response  to  his  cousin's  summons,  appeared 
at  the  drawing-room  a  few  moments  later,  with 
his  own  apt  word  of  welcome  and  smile  of 
pleasure. 

"Delighted  to  see  you  again,  Miss  Pitcairn," 
said  he,  holding  the  white  hand  a  moment.  "I 
wished  to  call  upon  you  yesterday,  but  Cousin 
Bessie  assured  me  that  you  were  away." 

"  I  was  away,  and  should  have  regretted  miss- 
ing your  call — you  will  venture  again?"  replied 
the  young  lady. 

"  Most  assuredly,  I  shall  look  forward  to  it 
with  impatience.  By  the  bye,"  dropping  his  tone 
to  a  confidential  pitch,  "have  you  decided  what 
blossom  you  would  name  as  my  '  Flower  of 
Fate  '  ?  Let  us  step  into  the  conservatory 
and " 

"  Alas,  for  a  failing  memory,"  replied  Belle, 
mischievously.  "  You  did  not  ask  me  to  select 


ARMITAGE  HALL.  99 

the  flower.  It  was  some  other  maiden  whom 
you  have  forgotten." 

He  drew  a  step  nearer,  and  looking  into  the 
clear  eyes,  said : 

"Granted  the  failing  memory,  but  not  the  im- 
peachment, that  other  than  you  was  to  give  the 
flower.  It  was  also  your  promise.  Shall  we  go?" 

It  had  been  almost  a  promise  —  one  obtained 
on  such  an  afternoon  as  this,  when  the  room 
had  been  full  of  friends,  and  it  had  so  hap- 
pened that  Stanley  had  been  quite  close  to  her. 
To  the  ordinary  observer  he  had  on  that  oc- 
casion mingled  courteously  in  the  general  con- 
versation, but  between  whiles  he  had  also  been 
telling  with  effect  a  weird  tale  of  the  Fate 
Flower.  There  had  been  a  potent  charm  in  the 
fact  that  all  the  guests  were  within  ear-shot, 
and  he  was  conning  a  bewitching  love-tale,  and 
to  her  alone.  Aside  from  her  interest  in  the 
story,  the  audacity  and  consummate  tact  with 
which  the  remarkable  man  played  his  double 
part,  won  her  admiration.  His  manner  of  seem- 
ing attention  to  Mrs.  Van  Brunt's  prosy  com- 
monplaces was  without  flaw  as  a  piece  of 
acting ;  yet  through  it  all,  under  the  droop- 
ing moustache  came  the  tale  of  the  Fate 
Flower,  and  none  knew  it  but  these  two.  What 
a  strange  episode  had  been  the  dinner!  Quiet, 


lOO  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

ordinary,  yet  the  air  was  full  of  suggestion,  and 
even  at  the  table,  with  the  Governor  by  her 
side,  and  Stanley  Armitage  at  the  other  end  of 
the  board,  it  had  seemed  to  Belle's  fancy  that  the 
low  musical  voice  was  still  telling  the  tale  that 
breathed  an  oriental  fragrance  of  romance  and 
love.  With  so  vivid  a  word  painter,  as  the 
young  railroad  king,  was  it  a  wonder  that  Belle 
had  many  times  thought  over  the  tale  that  had 
on  that  afternoon  so  thrilled  her  with  emotions 
before  unknown  ?  Was  it  surprising  that,  when 
the  sudden  summons  came  for  him  to  start  on 
the  inspection-tour  that  he  had  so  long  been 
striving  to  consummate  with  other  railroad  mag- 
nates, she  felt  a  sense  of  disappointment.  To 
be  sure,  his  departure  was  known  to  her  as 
soon  as  to  any,  by  the  note  that  an  exquisite 
bouquet  of  flowers  held, —  a  note  that  even  then 
was  treasured. 

The  tale  had  been  told,  and  only  they  two 
knew  it.  Now  for  the  sequel,  which  was  to 
come,  when  the  beautiful  maiden,  who  in  this 
case  was  Miss  Pitcairn,  should  choose  the  flower 
whose  petals  would  make  known  the  fate  of 
him  to  whom  she  gave  it.  With  the  pleasure 
of  a  genuine  aesthete,  Stanley  Armitage  had 
watched  the  growth  of  her  interest  in  the  story. 
Accustomed  to  read  faces,  the  almost  imper- 


ARMITAGE  HALL.  IOI 

ceptible  changes  that  came  into  the  splendid 
eyes,  the  slightly  quickened  breath,  the  delicate 
deepening  of  color,  all  gave  him  supreme  satis- 
faction. During  the  few  leisure  moments  that 
his  business  trip  afforded  him  he  had  reviewed 
the  whole  scene  with  delight,  and  determined  as 
soon  as  he  returned  again  to  lead  her  thoughts 
to  the  quaint  old  tale,  and  get  her  to  fulfill 
the  half-promise  made  on  that  afternoon.  Here, 
however,  he  was  a  little  at  fault.  Had  he  made 
it  plain  what  the  choosing  of  this  flower  meant  ? 
He  was  not  sure.  The  thought  that  Belle  was 
dealing  coquettishly  with  him  did  not  enter  his 
mind,  but  it  did  occur  to  him,  although  as  an 
afterthought,  that  it  might  be  possible  for  a 
young  lady  to  be  charmed  with  an  ideality,  and 
not  at  all  favorable  to  its  materialization.  He 
was,  however,  fairly  confident  of  victory,  while 
Belle — ah,  who  shall  say  what  a  young  and 
beautiful  woman  does  feel  in  such  a  case  ? 
'  "  Shall  we  go  ? "  said  Stanley  Armitage,  look- 
ing into  the  depths  of  Belle's  eyes,  as  if  to 
read  their  secret,  even  before  the  flower  should 
reveal  it. 

"  Here  is  your  cousin,  perhaps  she  will  ac- 
company us,"  was  the  indefinite  answer,  as  Mrs. 
Armitage  returned  to  the  room  at  that  instant. 

The    gentleman    did    not    apparently    favor   this 


102  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

plan,  for  he  adroitly  addressed  the  lady  and  kept 
a  general  conversation  going  on,  until  the  Fate 
Flower,  for  the  time  being,  had  dropped  out  of 
sight ;  he  relaxed  his  efforts,  and  began  to  look 
bored. 

"  My  dear,  we  missed  you  last  evening,"  said 
Mrs.  Armitage. 

The  young  lady  instinctively  glanced  at  Stanley, 
and  seeing  that  he  was  interested  for  a  moment, 
was  embarrassed,  but  recovering  herself  quickly, 
said, — 

"  Papa   and    I    were   talking   business." 

"  Then  rumor  for  the  once  tells  the  truth : 
you  are  a  mill  owner  ? " 

"  I  was  not  aware  that  rumor  had  aught  to 
do  with  my  actions.  Why  should  it  be  consid- 
ered so  strange  if  one  uses  time  and  money  for 
the  benefit  of  others,  instead  of  spending  it 
upon  one's  self?"  said  Belle,  the  more  boldly,  as 
she  thought  she  saw  a  tightening  up  of  the 
firm  lines  about  the  young  millionaire's  mouth, 
which  meant  decided  censure. 

"  I  'm  sure,  dear,  it  is  very  kind  of  you  to 
take  an  interest  in  the  working  people,  for  of 
course  that  is  your  object ;  but  it  seems  a  waste 
of  effort,  for  they  never  appreciate  what  is  done 
for  them,"  said  Mrs.  Armitage,  rather  sadly ;  but 
whether  from  sorrow  for  the  obtuseness  of  the 


ARMITAGE  HALL.  IO3 

common    folk,     or    the    misdirected    effort    of    our 
heroine,    it   would   be   difficult   to   decide. 

Stanley  Armitage,  too  courteous  to  say  a  word 
against  an  action  that  he  entirely  disapproved, 
at  this  juncture  arose,  and  seeing  the  Governor 
and  his  cousin  coming,  went  into  the  hall  to 
meet  them,  and  to  open  a  discussion  which  lasted 
quite  through  the  dinner,  and  which  effectually 
prevented  any  return  either  to  sentiment  or  to 
Harlem.  It  is  possible  that  this  subject  went 
further  and  became  of  more  general  interest 
than  the  shrewd  man  of  affairs  had  anticipated, 
for  toward  the  last  of  it  he  began  to  assume 
a  look  of  polite  weariness, — an  appeal  not  often 
resisted. 

After  dinner  it  appeared  as  if  every  thing  was 
against  the  wooer.  With  his  former  self-confi- 
dent manner  he  had  attempted  to  establish  him- 
self close  by  the  side  of  Miss  Pitcairn,  that  he 
might  in  his  musical  monotone  get  her  to  prom 
ise  that,  then  and  there,  he  should  have  the 
Fate  Flower.  He  had  been  for  the  moment  pro 
voked  that  she  had  condescended  to  be  inter 
ested  in  shop-people  and  laborers ;  but  when  he 
looked  at  her  fair  face,  he  forgot  that,  and  only 
longed  to  know  that  he  was  to  be  the  happy 
mortal  who  was  to  carry  off  this  prize  among 
women.  His  calculations  were,  however,  upset 


IO4  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

by  the  obtuseness  of  the  Governor,  who  was 
determined  to  settle  the  question  that  the  young 
man  had  raised,  and  who,  his  fine  face  aglow, 
was  recounting  varied  personal  experiences  that 
would  have  convinced  any  one  but  an  absent- 
minded,  half-angry  lover. 

Once,  before  the  Governor's  carriage  came, 
Armitage  had  a  chance  to  whisper, — 

"  Can  I  call  to-morrow  and  get  my  Fate 
Flower?"  But  there  was  no  answer,  and  whether 
he  was  heard,  he  could  not  decide. 

As  he  handed  the  lady  into  her  carriage,  he 
bowed  to  a  gentleman  passing,  whom  the  Gov- 
ernor hailed  with  the  invitation,  — 

"  Ah,  Professor,  get  in  and  ride  up  with  us. 
I  have  wanted  to  see  you  for  some  time." 

The  invitation  was  accepted,  and  Mr.  Bucking- 
ham, despite  the  look  of  cold  hostility  that  the 
young  millionaire  gave  him,  was  seated  by  the 
side  of  the  Governor's  daughter. 


AN  AMATEUR  DETECTIVE.  10$ 


VII. 
<?9  fbpfco*  fiefecfiite. 

« T|    FEEL    so    guilty    for    neglecting    that    poor 
J£    child,  Jack,    in   her   trouble,"    said   Belle,  her 

eyes   full   of  tears,    as  she  sat  at  her  desk   in  the 

mill,   the   morning's    mail   untouched. 

"  But    you    did    not    suspect    that    she    was    in 

trouble,    and,    therefore,    are    not    guilty ;    besides, 

she   can  be   found,"  replied   Mr.   Chick,    positively; 

for   he   was   present,    having    taken   quite   a   fancy 

to   the  daintily   furnished    office. 
"  Do   you   think   so  ?  " 
"  Why    not  ?      She    is    not    likely   to    stray    far 

away    from    the    places    she    has    always    known, 

and    a    careful    search    of    them    would,     without 

doubt,    discover    her    more    than    anxious    to    be 

found,"   was   the   wise    reply. 

"But   somebody   may   have   stolen   her." 

"  She    is  n't    the    kind    of    cherub    that    child - 

stealers    fancy.      I    doubt   if    you    could    hire    the 

most    depraved    among    them    to    purloin    such    a 

lean   little   rat." 


IC6  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

"Augustus  Chick,  you  surprise  me,"  said  his 
cousin  severely.  "The  blind  man's  granddaughter 
is  a  very  interesting  child,  and  one  whom  we 
are  bound  to  help,  knowing  as  we  do  that  there 
is  some  good  fortune  in  store  for  her,  if  she 
can  only  be  found,  and  the  Bible  recovered." 

"  Do  n't  be  provoked,  Cousin  Belle,  I  will  find 
both,"  said  the  youth  meekly. 

The  beautiful  girl  looked  at  him  in  unfeigned 
astonishment  as  he  continued,  — 

"  I  know  something  about  that  part  of  the 
city,  and  think  I  can  tell  pretty  nearly  where 
Jack  will  re-appear.  I  should  be  willing  to  bet 
that  I  could  secure  her  within  twenty-four  hours." 

Belle's  eyes  sparkled,  and  she  gave  her  little 
cousin  a  look  that  thrilled  him  down  to  his 
patent-leather  boots,  as  she  replied, — 

"  O,  if  you  only  could  find  her,  I  should  be 
so  happy !  The  thought  that  she  is  wandering 
about  the  streets,  with  not  a  soul  in  this  great 
city  that  cares  whether  she  lives  or  dies,  makes 
me  wretched." 

"Very  well,  let  us  consider  it  settled,  then," 
said  Mr.  Chick  in  a  tone  of  deep  self-satisfac- 
tion. "I  will  at  once  return  to  my  rooms,  put 
on  the  seediest  suit  that  I  can  find,  even  if  I 
hire  one,  and  spend  my  time  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  '  Wedge '  until  I  find  Jack." 


AN  AMATEUR  DETECTIVE.  IO/ 

"You   will   not  be  in   danger?"    hesitated  Belle. 

"  O,  some,  but  if  I  have  no  money  to  speak 
of,  and  no  jewelry,  and  am  shabbily  dressed, 
there  will  be  no  object  in  hurting  me,"  replied 
he. 

"  Had   you    not   better   engage   a  detective  ? " 

"  A  detective ! "  was  the  exclamation,  in  which 
was  expressed  infinite  scorn.  "  No,  indeed !  We 
want  Jack  and  the  Bible ;  we  are  not  seeking 
simply  -for  clues." 

True  to  his  purpose,  Mr.  Chick  at  once  went 
home  and  made  arrangements  for  this  new  and, 
to  him,  startling  adventure.  With  a  strange 
readiness,  considering  how  much  his  heart  was 
bound  up  in  such  things,  he  was  about  to  re- 
nounce the  splendidly  furnished  rooms,  the  fault- 
less cuisine,  and,  what  was  still  nearer  and 
dearer,  the  dainty  attire,  and  appear  as  a  shabby 
—  artist,  perhaps — to  dine  in  cheap  restaurants, 
and  room  at  some  musty  lodging-house  until 
Jack  should  be  found.  It  might  take  a  day,  or 
a  week,  he  pondered,  but  he  would  do  it  just 
the  same. 

Feeling  the  full  force  of  his  self-denial,  and 
rather  enjoying  it,  he  donned  the  old  clothes, 
went  down  to  the  "  Wedge,"  and  began  the 
search  for  lodgings.  On  many  a  door-post  was 
pasted  a  greasy  slip  of  paper,  announcing  tint 


108  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

within  was  to  be  found  "bord,"  "boord,"  or 
"board,"  with  prices  that  sometimes  were  stated, 
and  at  others  left  to  be  guessed. 

A  single,  furnished  room,  on  the  second  floor, 
with  a  bed  of  ordinary  comfort,  and  a  door 
with  a  double  lock,  was  what  he  wanted.  He 
decided  to  take  his  meals  at  restaurants  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  if  he  could  not  stand  the 
food  furnished,  could  ride  down  town  ;  but  the 
first  thing  was  the  room,  and  in  search  of  this, 
the  young  detective  walked  up  and  down  the 
streets  for  some  time  before  he  could  make  up 
his  mind  which  of  the  houses  to  attack.  At 
length  he  decided  to  try  the  "  Cosmopolitan 
Hotel." 

On  a  large  sign  which  had  previously  informed 
the  public  that  Jacob  Dimmel  furnished  "  ales, 
wein4  and  lager,"  and  which  showed  a  frisky 
goat  attempting  to  butt  a  man  off  a  barrel,  was 
now  the  legend,  "Good  clean  lodgings  15,  20, 
and  25  cents  per  night.  Separate  beds  for  all. 
Time  beds  10  cents  each." 

Opening  the  door,  he  found  himself  in  a  long 
room,  where  were  a  dozen  or  more  men,  some 
of  them  playing  cards,  others  sitting  tailor  fash- 
ion and  sewing,  and  still  others  gathered  around 
a  charcoal  brazier,  cooking  a  not  unsavory  smell- 
ing stew.  The  treasurer  of  this  last  close  corpo- 


AN  AMATEUR  DETECTIVE.  1 09 

ration  held  an  enormous  iron  spoon,  which  he 
used  to  stir  the  pottage  and  rap  the  knuckles 
of  the  impatient  ones  who  attempted  to  spear 
bits  of  meat  with  their  jack-knives. 

"Can  I  be  accommodated  with  a  room?"  asked 
Mr.  Chick. 

"Ye  can,"  said  the  proprietor,  who  was  utiliz 
ing  the  counter  as  a  bath-slab  for  a  growling 
bull-pup.  "  Hoo  much  siller  hae  ye  ? " 

"     — ,"    replied    Mr.    Chick,    hesitatingly. 

"  Pass  it  oot,  an'  hie  yersel'  aroond  here  at 
'leven  the  neet,  hand  in  yer  ticket,  an'  take 
yer  place  on  the  'Jouncer.'" 

Very  meekly  the  youth  produced  a  ten-dollar 
bill  and  passed  it  over  the  counter,  while  the 
Scotchman's  eyes  opened  wider  and  wider. 

"Why  —  why — what  d'ye  mean  by  that,  mon?" 
he  gasped.  "You  don't  want  no  'Jouncer.'  You 
kin  affoord  the  best  bed  in  the  hoose." 

"  I  'm  a  stranger  in  these  parts,"  began  the 
new  comer,  but  was  interrupted  by  the  other, 
who  said  jovially, — 

"  Aye,  I  kenned  it,  yeer  English,  like  the 
pup  here,  but  do  n't  be  afeerd.  Jack  McFadden 
alloos  nae  one  to  trifle  wi'  his  guests.  Noo,  wull 
ye  take  a  fifteen,  a  twenty,  or  twenty-fie  cent 
bed,  or  wull  ye  save  yeer  siller  an'  go  in  on 
the  'Jouncer'?" 


HO  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

"Can  I  look   around   and   see    which    I   prefer?" 

"  O,  aye,  to  be  sure.  Here,  O'Toole,  show  the 
lad  the  bed-rooms.  He's  but  joost  come  ower, 
an'  he  hasna'  got  civilized  yet." 

At  the  summons,  a  short,  stout  Irishman  left 
his  chance  at  pot-luck,  and  advanced  to  the 
counter,  a  jolly  smile  illumining  his  broad  face. 

"Arrah!  thin,  an'  it's  ahl  right  to  talk  about 
bein'  civilized,  but  don't  I  wish  I  was  uncivilized 
again.  Phat's  yer  name,  me  bye  ? " 

"Chick,"  replied  the  victim,  because  he  could 
think  of  no  other. 

"Troth,  it  fits  ye,  me  little  game-cock,  wid 
yer  rid  hid  an'  foine  clothes.  Come  along,  me 
bantam,  an'  see  the  '  Cowsmopolitan  Hotel,'  — 
rooms  at  any  price ;  patronized  by  His  Royal 
Highness,  the  Prince  Imparial,  who  always  takes 
his  resht  on  the  'Jouncer,'  bad  cess  to  him!" 

Following  his  voluble  guide,  Mr.  Chick  was 
soon  shown  some  of  the  rooms  in  the  hotel. 
Some  were  nothing  more  than  tiny  closets,  made 
of  p.'ne  boards,  in  each  of  which  was  a  broad 
shelf  in  lieu  of  bed,  and  two  nails  driven  in  the 
wall  for  a  wardrobe;  these  were  the  twenty-five 
cent  rooms.  The  fifteen  and  twenty  cent  apart- 
ments were  bunks  placed  one  above  the  other, 
against  the  walls,  and  were  high  or  low-priced, 
according  to  location. 


AN  AMATEUR  DETECTIVE.  1 1  1 

"Where  is  the  'Jouncer'?"  asked  the  some- 
what bewildered  dandy. 

"  That  is  n't  put  up  until  late  in  the  avening, 
as  we  nude  ahl  the  flure  space  to  undress  in. 
Afthcr  the  millionaires  are  in  their  boonks,  thin 
the  'Jouncer'  is  put  up,  and  the  tin-cent  rabble 
have  a  chance  to  slape  until  six  in  the  marning, 
thin  they  are  'jounced,'  an'  med  to  get  out  of 
the  way  for  dacint  paple." 

In  response  to  further  inquiries,  O'Toole  ex- 
plained minutely  the  working  of  the  great  ten- 
cent  receptacle.  It  seems  that  McFaddcn,  the 
thrifty  proprietor  of  the  Cosmopolitan,  had  for- 
merly been  in  the  habit  of  letting  the  "ten-cent 
rabble  "  come  in  at  the  price  named,  and  sleep  on 
the  floor,  provided  they  got  out  of  the  way  of  the 
regular  "bunkers"  and  "roomers"  in  the  morning. 
One  and  all  had  promised  this,  time  and  again, 
but  the  spirit  in  the  evening  often  promises  what 
the  flesh  is  too  weak  to  perform  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  thus  it  happened  that  the  sleepy  occu- 
pants of  the  floor  could  not  be  wakened,  and 
the  lodgers  in  the  bunks,  indignant  at  being 
obliged  to  wade  through  the  morass  of  humanity, 
threatened  to  leave.  At  this  critical  point, 
McFadden  showed  his  genius  by  inventing  the 
"Jouncer."  It  was  simply  two  stout  cables 
stretched  horizontally  across  the  room,  and  drawn 


112  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


tight  over  a  wooden  drum.  Over  these  cables 
were  laid  the  mattresses,  which  were  strapped 
to  slats,  and  upon  the  mattresses  slept  the  im- 
pecunious "ten-centers."  At  six  in  the  morning, 
the  ropes  were  slacked  a  trifle,  and  the  line  of 
sleepers  thoroughly  jarred  into  life.  At  five 
minutes  after  six  the  drum  was  suddenly  re- 
leased, and  the  elongated  bed  dropped  to  the 
floor,  with  what  might  be  justly  described,  a 
"sickening  thud." 

The  invention  had  been  a  complete  success 
from  the  first,  and  the  lodgers,  proud  of  the 
arrangement,  earnestly  urged  McFadden  to  se- 
cure letters-patent  on  it,  asserting  that  if  he 
did  not,  the  leading  hotels  of  the  country  would 
steal  it,  "first  thing  he  knowed."  The  old 
Scotchman  seriously  contemplated  the  securing 
at  least  of  a  caveat,  until  he  learned  the  price 
to  be  paid  for  such  protection,  after  which  his 
enthusiasm  waned,  and  he  was  willing  to  take 
his  chances. 

Mr.  Chick  secured  a  closet,  with  a  window 
facing  the  street,  directly  opposite  the  blind 
man's  house,  and  then  sallied  out  for  supper. 
The  prices  which  ruled  in  lodgings  were  par- 
alleled in  the  few  smoky-looking  restaurants,  and 
unable  to  settle  on  any  of  them  as  places 
where  he  could  find  any  thing  eatable,  he  was 


AN  AM  A  T£  UR  DE  TECTIVE.  1 1 3 

about  to  take  a  weary  ride  down  town  when  he 
noticed  a  newsboy  coming  out  of  an  alley  with 
a  piece  of  pie  that  looked  very  respectable.  Now 
Mr.  Chick  had  the  true  American  fondness  for 
pie,  and  felt  at  once  that  could  he  duplicate 
the  section  that  he  saw  being  rapidly  demolished, 
it  would  make  a  satisfying  meal. 

"  Er  —  say,  my  friend,  where  did  you  purchase 
your  lunch  ? "  he  politely  asked,  wondering  at 
the  ludicrous  expression  of  amazement  that  came 
over  the  boy's  face  as  he  spoke. 

"  Wuff  ?  "  inquired  the  youngster,  speaking 
through  a  couple  of  inches  of  half-masticated 
pastry,  and  producing  a  muffled  tone  that  gave 
one  the  feeling  that  his  vocal  organs  were  lined 
with  flannel. 

"Where   did   you   get    it?" 

"Wuff?" 

"  The   pie,    I    want   some." 

With  a  violent  effort  the  youngster  gulped  the 
mass,  and  turned  his  attention  to  his  questioner. 
In  this  he  was  whole-souled  and  conscientious, 
and  so  deep-seated  was  his  principle  of  thorough- 
ness that  he  even  walked  twice  around  the  wait- 
ing youth,  before  replying.  Finally  he  said,  — 

"  Broke  ? " 

He  meant  to  inquire,  with  delicate  tact,  if  the 
other  was  out  of  money,  but  Chick,  with  quick, 


114  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 


though  false  apprehension  of  this  slang,  imagined 
him  to  refer  to  the  state  of  his  stomach,  so  he 
said  "Yes." 

Without  more  ado  the  little  ragamuffin  caugnt 
him  by  the  coat-sleeve  and  dragged  him  up  the 
alley.  A  few  steps,  and  a  door  was  reached, 
opened,  and  the  young  man  found  himself  in 
a  dining-room,  the  like  of  which  he  had  never 
before  seen.  About  thirty  feet  long  and  seven 
feet  wide,  it  yet  contained  tables,  chairs,  kitchen, 
store-room,  waiters,  and  fully  thirty  guests. 
To  accommodate  all  of  these  essentials  the 
most  rigid  economy  in  space  was  necessary, 
and  was  thus  .secured  :  the  tables  were  narrow 
shelves  nailed  up  against  the  walls,  a  narrower 
shelf  above  holding  the  pepper,  salt,  and  mustard. 
The  chairs  were  three-legged  stools,  the  kitchen 
was  parted  off  from  one  end  by  a  counter 
piled  high  with  pies,  and  the  guests  were  all 
boys.  From  cards  on  the  wall  Chick  learned 
that  baked  beans  and  brown  bread  were  three 
cents,  that  pie  was  three  cents  a  cut,  that  coffee 
was  two  cents  a  cup,  and  that  cider  was  five 
cents  a  glass,  but  before  he  had  time  to  put  in 
an  order  for  any  of  these  dainties,  his  guide 
called  out  to  the  man  behind  the  counter,  — 

"  Say,  this  yere  bloke  is  dead  broke,  an'  he 
wants  some  pie,  dy  'ye  hear  me  squeal  ? " 


AN  AMATF.UR  DETECTIVE,  1 15 


"  Wot  kind  ?  "  asked  the  proprietor,  raising  his 
knife. 

"  Take  mince,  then  yer  know  what  yer  gettin1 
—  a  little  of  ev'rythia'/'  suggested  the  lad. 

But  Chick  felt  most  at  home  on  lemon,  and 
this  he  took  regardless  of  the  other's  insinuation 
that  he  was  so  "  toney "  that  next  thing  he 
would  be  "  callin'  fur  quail  on  trust." 

When  he  had  finished  his  pie,  which  was 
good,  excepting  the  crust,  and  that,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  free-and-easy  etiquette  of  the 
place,  he  was  told  to  throw  under  the  table, 
he  essayed  another  piece,  but  to  his  amazement 
was  indignantly  refused  by  the  proprietor,  — 

"  Sure,  an'  it 's  a  shame  that  an  able-bodied 
feller  like  yerself  should  be  thryin'  to  live  off  a 
little  bye  loike  him.  Why  do  n't  ye  pay  for  yer 
own  pie  ?  Is  n't  it  as  aisy  fur  you  to  errn  a 
price  av  a  cut  as  fur  him  ? " 

"  Really,"  said  the  novice,  greatly  surprised, 
"I  am  perfectly  willing  to  pay." 

"  Ah,  yes,  widout  doubt,  an'  and  there 's  more 
like  yer,  mighty  willin',  but  they  niver  does 
pay." 

Here  the  offender  drew  out  a  handful  of  small 
change,  and  was  about  to  prove  that  he  was 
speaking  the  truth,  when  at  once  the  little 
Arabs  about  him,  who  had  been  interested  spec- 


HER  OPPORTUNITY 


tators,  burst  into  a  roar  of  rage,  above  which 
could  be  heard  the  stentorian  voice  of  the  pie- 
man, — 

"  Is  that  the  kind  av  man  ye  are  ?  Gettin'  a 
babe  in  arrums  to  fade  ye,  whin  yeer  pockets 
are  full  !  I  would  n't  blame  the  byes  if  they 
leathered  ye  !  " 

It  was  the  too  evident  intention  of  the  law. 
less  horde  to  wreak  substantial  vengeance  on 
one  who  they  thought  had  violated  the  com- 
mon code  of  honor.  Some  of  them  grasped  the 
three-legged  stools,  and  others  caught  up  the 
thick  white  coffee-cups  and  prepared  for  action. 
These  latter  were,  however,  sternly  rebuked  by 
the  proprietor,  who,  taking  up  a  pint  dipper  of 
hot  coffee,  remarked  :  "  The  bye  what  trows 
dishes  will  resave  the  full  av  this  !  " 

Poor  Mr.  Chick  stood  helpless.  He  did  not 
dream  that  he  had  entered  the  place  as  the 
guest  of  the  little  pie-eater,  or  that  the  latter 
had  supposed  him  to  be  penniless  and  hungry, 
and  out  of  sheer  good-heartedness  had  volun- 
teered to  supply  his  wants,  perhaps  at  the  ex- 
pense of  his  own  breakfast  on  the  morrow.  So 
he  stood,  trying  in  an  uncertain  way  to  explain, 
his  voice  drowned  by  the  yells  of  the  boys,  who 
were  edging  toward  him,  with  fight  in  their 
eyes.  Truth  to  tell,  he  was  greatly  startled,  but 


AN  AMATEUR  DE TECTIVE.  1 1 7 

did  not  outwardly  betray  signs  of  panic,  and  his 
cool  bearing,  by  delaying  the  attack,  was  the 
means  of  saving  him  from  severe  punishment. 

"Hello,  hello,  byes,  phat  is  this?"  called  out 
a  rich  voice,  as  O'Toole  entered  the  room, 
"  Sure,  it  looks  loike  a  Donnybrook  fair.  Phat 
is  it,  just  a  bit  av  a  row  among  yerselves 
for  the  love  of  it?" 

"  We  're  goin'  ter  punch  the  stuffin'  outer  that 
red-head  cove,"  exclaimed  one  of  the  boys,  rais- 
ing his  stool. 

"  Indade,  thin,  ye  'er  not,  for  he 's  a  friend  av 
me  own,  just  landed  to-day  from  the  ould  coun 
thry ! " 

"  What  did  he  try  to  beat  Nick  out  of  a 
piece  of  pie  for,  then  ? "  was  the  universa. 
query. 

"  C,  he  was  only  funning.  Sure,  in  the  ship 
he  come  over  in,  he  was  full  av  his  pranks,  an' 
he  had  thim  ahl  crazy  —  phat  wid  puttin'  soft 
soap  in  the  soup,  and  shoe-blackin'  in  the  cap- 
tain's bid,  an'  grasin'  the  masht  so  that  the 
sailors  could  n't  climb  up  at  ahl.  He 's  one  av 
the  funniest  min  that  iver  ye  saw,  an'  he  fooled 
the  whole  av  yez  complately." 

The  crowd  were  uncertain,  and,  once  in  doubt, 
a  mob  is  no  longer  a  power.  The  stools  were 
lowered,  the  belligerent  attitudes  dropped,  and  all 


118  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

that  was  thought  of,  was,  that  as  long  as  they 
were  fooled,  it  was  somebody's  duty  to  treat,  and 
O'Toole,  seeing  the  opportunity,  shouted,  — 

"  The  little  bantam  from  the  ould  counthry 
stands  thrate  to  pie  !  " 

Then  followed  a  scene  that  makes  the  veriest 
beggar  of  description,  for  in  a  solid  phalanx 
they  rushed  upon  the  astounded  pie-man,  one 
and  all,  and  helped  themselves.  The  kind  of 
pastry  that  they  took  did  not  matter,  and  where 
the  chance  offered,  two  and  three  pieces  were 
snatched.  In  the  midst  of  the  melee,  O'Toole 
took  the  cause  of  the  disturbance  by  the  arm, 
and  quietly  led  him  out  of  the  open  door,  and 
a  minute  later  they  were  within  the  protection 
of  the  Cosmopolitan. 

"Who  pays  for  the  pie,  though?"  inquired  Mr. 
Chick,  in  dismay. 

"No   one,"   was   the   calm   reply. 

That  same  evening,  as  the  young  man  ven- 
tured to  walk  by  the  tenement-house  where  Jack 
had  formerly  lived,  he  saw  the  little  newsboy 
drawing  pictures  on  the  outside  of  a  brilliantly 
lighted  saloon  window.  As  Mr.  Chick  passed, 
he  looked  up,  recognized  him,  smiled  broadly, 
and  said,  — 

"Huffo." 

His    mouth    was    full    of    pie,    and    the    crayon 


AN  AMATEUR  DETECTIVE. 


with   which    he  was   pursuing  his  art    studies    was 
a  piece   of  pie   crust. 

Let  us  now  for  a  moment  see  what  had  be- 
fallen desolate  little  Jack,  whom  we  left  on  the 
street  with  a  few  papers  as  the  only  means  of 
supplying  herself  with  supper.  After  a  long  and 
persistent  struggle  she  succeeded  in  obtaining 
five  cents,  with  which  she  purchased  a  plate  of 
beans,  and  with  more  courage  than  for  some  , 
days  resolved  to  return  to  the  tenement-house, 
collect  the  few  treasures  that  were  hers  by  in- 
heritance, and  start  out  in  the  world  to  seek 
her  fortune. 

To  what  part  of  the  city  or  country  she 
should  direct  her  steps,  she  had  not  the  faint- 
est idea;  but  the  feeling  possessed  her  that  few 
places  could  be  worse,  and  that  some  might  be 
better  than  this  in  the  "Wedge."  Yet  the  con- 
clusion was  not  an  easy  one  for  the  child  to 
reach.  Vile  though  the  quarter  was,  she  called 
it  home,  for  there  she  had  spent  the  few  and 
evil  years  of  her  life,  and  about  it  clustered  all 
the  love  that  her  poor  heart  had  known  —  the 
priceless  affection  of  her  grandfather.  Had  he 
lived,  she  would  never  have  dreamed  of  going 
elsewhere,  but  now  why  should  she  tarry  ? 

Slowly  she  mounted  the  stairs  for  the  last 
time,  and  entered  the  little  attic  with  bowed 


I2O  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

head  and  eyes  filled  with  tears.  Every  step 
brought  pain  to  her  heart  ;  the  sight  of  the  mea- 
ger furniture  and  the  blotched  and  scarred  walls 
almost  broke  her  down. 

"  So  you  've  codm  back,  'ave  yer  ? "  said  a 
harsh  voice,  and  for  the  first  time  Jack  was 
aware  that  Mrs.  Tarpy  was  in  the  room,  and 
not  only  that,  but  her  apron  was  full  of  the 
few  treasures  that  her  grandfather  possessed. 

"  What  are  you  doing  with  those  things  ? " 
demanded  the  child,  her  voice  choked  with 
wrath. 

"What  ham  I  doing  is  hit?  I'm  jest  taking 
account  of  stock,  to  see  hif  there  is  the  price 
of  a  drink  'ere ;  I  doubt  hit,  but  hintend  to 
find  out  to  wonst." 

"Indeed  you  won't  do  any  thing  of  the  kind. 
They  are  mine,  and  you  shall  not  sell  them  ! " 
"screamed  Jack,  flying  at  the  harpy,  tooth  and 
nail,  to  rescue  the  sacred  relics.  She  had,  how- 
ever, to  deal  with  one  who  could  hold  her  own 
in  any  ordinary  fray,  and  before  she  realized 
what  had  happened,  she  was  lying  in  a  heap  on 
the  floor,  her  ears  ringing  with  a  vicious  boxing, 
and  her  head  dizzy  with  a  shaking  that  had 
made  her  teeth  chatter  like  castanets.  Mrs. 
Tarpy  had  meanwhile  disappeared,  and  only  the 
t^ump,  thump,  thump  of  her  heavy  boots,  and 


AN  AMATEUR  DETECTIVE.  121 

ner  loud  oaths  at  the  children  who  were  in  her 
way,  proved  that  she  was  in  the  vicinity.  The 
thought  flashing  into  Jack's  mind,  that  the 
woman  had  the  precious  Bible,  —  Miss  Pitcairn's 
gift, — stirred  her  to  new  activity,  and  she 
sprang  to  her  feet  and  hurried  down  the  stairs. 
A  familiarity  with  the  ways  of  Midnight  Street 
led  the  child  to  suspect  that  the  thief  would 
seek  the  nearest  pawnshop.  In  this  she  was  right, 
for  some  distance  away  she  descried  her  hurry- 
ing along,  shoving  the  idlers  right  and  left. 
Half-crying,  half-desperate,  Jack  followed.  The 
path  that  the  brawny  woman  made  closed  up 
again,  and  the  pursuer  had  to  make  her  way  by 
dodging,  squeezing,  and  hurrying  to  the  very  best 
of  her  ability ;  yet,  so  well  did  she  improve  the 
time,  that  when  the  former,  with  a  push,  threw 
open  the  pawn-shop  door,  the  latter  was  able  to 
slip  in  before  it  was  closed.  So  intent  was 
Jack  upon  the  movements  of  her  enemy,  that 
she  did  not  notice  a  slight,  plainly  dressed 
young  man,  with  very  red  hair,  and  an  air  of 
suppressed  excitement,  who  hurried  up  and 
crowded  in  just  behind  her.  The  last  comer 
was  Mr.  Chick,  the  new  lodger  at  the  Cosmo- 
politan Hotel,  and  the  cause  of  his  opportune 
appearance  was  this :  Contrary  to  general  usage 
he  had,  after  supper,  retired  to  his  room  to 


122  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 


watch  the  house  opposite,  and  dutifully  seating 
himself  on  the  foot  of  the  bed,  was  thinking 
what  a  fool  he  had  made  of  himself  in  volun- 
teering to  do  such  unsatisfactory  work ;  when 
whom  should  he  see  but  stout  Mrs.  Tarpy  hurry- 
ing by  on  the  opposite  side,  as  if  her  life  de- 
pended on  her  haste.  The  watcher  was  con- 
templating her  exertions  with  calm  amusement 
when  Jack  appeared  on  the  scene,  frantic  with 
excitement  and  anger,  and  in  hot  pursuit  of  the 
woman.  In  an  instant  the  watcher  had  seized  his 
hat  and,  hastening  through  the  "  Jouncer-room," 
sprung  out  of  the  door  and  joined  the  chase 
Many  of  the  lodgers  followed  him  as  far  as 
the  sidewalk,  under  the  impression  that  there 
was  a  fight,  but  seeing  none,  returned  disgusted 
to  their  various  occupations. 

Mr.  Chick  sighted  Jack  the  instant  he  was 
out  of  doors,  and  afraid  of  losing  her,  took  the 
middle  of  the  street,  and  as  we  have  said, 
arrived  at  the  pawn-shop  door  in  time  to  enter 
close  behind  her,  in  company  with  B.  red-nosed 
man,  who  held  a  battered  cage  in  which  perched 
a  dilapidated  parrot. 

The  shop  was  a  dark,  ill-smelling  place,  the 
counters  piled  high  with  second-hand  clothing, 
the  shelves  packed  with  ticketed  bundles,  the 
one  window  choked  with  a  confusion  of  smaller 


4JV  AMATEUR  DETECTIVE.  123 

articles  that  lay  bedded  in  the  dust  of  years. 
There  were  several  people  awaiting  their  turn 
at  haggling  with  the  spectacled  Hebrew  who 
owned  the  place,  and  in  spite  of  her  aggressive 
manner,  Mrs.  Tarpy  had  to  bide  her  time.  Mr. 
Chick  was  about  to  speak  to  Jack,  but  the  lat- 
ler,  without  seeing  him,  concealed  herself  behind 
a  pile  of  clothing,  and  fixed  her  eyes  on  her 
enemy,  while  the  latter,  tired  of  holding  the 
heavy  volume  in  her  apron,  and  apparently  feel- 
ing no  apprehension,  laid  the  book  on  the  dusty 
show-case  for  an  instant. 

"  Stolen  propputty ! "  said  the  parrot,  with  a 
suddenness  that  made  every  one  jump,  and  an 
aptness  that  aroused  Mrs.  Tarpy's  fear  and 
anger. 

"  Take  the  dirty  thing  away,  or  I  '11  mash 
'im ! "  she  said,  taking  up  the  book  again. 

"  Ah,  there,  my  sweet-heart ! "  remarked  the 
bird  from  under  his  owner's  coat,  and  looking 
so  dilapidatedly  waggish,  that  even  the  "Uncle" 
smiled. 

Quiet  restored,  the  woman  again  laid  down 
the  Bible  and  began  to  sort  the  smaller  articles 
in  her  apron.  Jack,  whose  heart  beat  high  the 
first  time  she  saw  the  hateful  grip  released,  and 
had  almost  stopped  beating  when  the  parrot  in- 
terfered, again  began  to  hope,  and  stole  nearer 


124  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

to  the  counter.  Chick  saw  what  she  was  after, 
and  determined  to  aid  her  all  in  his  power, 
stepped  around'  to  the  further  side,  and  dropped 
his  own  fine  silk  handkerchief  on  the  floor  at 
the  woman's  feet,  saying  a  minute  later,  — 

"  Did   you   drop   something  ?  " 

Mrs.  Tarpy  looked  clown,  and  very  naturally 
said,  "Yes,"  and  stooping  to  pick  it  up,  lost  sight 
of  the  Bible,  and  afforded  Jack  the  coveted 
chance.  The  manner  in  which  she  improved  it 
was  surprising,  and  perhaps  astonished  the 
young  man  as  much  as  any  one ;  for,  as  Mrs. 
Tarpy  stooped,  she  darted  forward,  and  with 
her  whole  strength  gave  her  a  vigorous  push. 
With  a  wild  clutch  in  the  air  the  heavy  woman 
plunged  forward,  striking  Chick  in  the  stomach, 
and  knocking  him  out  of  harm's  way,  hitting 
the  red-nosed  man,  and  bringing  him  to  the 
floor,  parrot  and  all.  In  the  brief  time  that 
Mrs.  Tarpy  occupied  in  cursing  and  struggling 
to  her  feet,  and  while  the  parrot  was  yelling, 
"Fire!  murder!  thieves!"  and  showering  epithets 
that  showed  his  bringing  up,  Jack  had  secured 
the  Bible  and  slipped  out  of  the  shop.  The 
woman  rose  in  time  to  see  her,  and  her  wrath 
knew  no  bounds,  —  whatever  happened,  she  in- 
tended to  catch  the  child,  and  if  her  eyes  said 
any  thing,  they  said  that  she  would  kill  her. 


AN  AMATEUR  DETECTIVE.  12$ 


But  Jack  had  no  intention  of  being  caught,  and 
when  Mrs.  Tarpy  and  Mr.  Chick  hutried  out 
upon  the  street  she  had  good  start  and  was 
making  the  best  of  it.  In  ordinary  cases  the 
cry  of  "Stop,  thief!"  would  have  brought  a 
policeman,  and  Jack  would  have  been  stopped ; 
but  her  pursuer  had  no  desire  to  attract  the 
attention  of  the  law,  so  she  simply  hurried  on, 
and  Mr.  Chick,  taking  the  opposite  side  of  the 
street,  hurried  on  too.  As  they  approached  the 
corner  where  stood  the  intelligent  officer  with 
whom  he  had  conversed  on  former  occasions, 
the  young  man  slipped  a  dollar  into  his  non- 
reluctant  hand,  and  asked  him  to  stop  the 
woman  a  moment,  as  she  was  about  to  abuse 
the  child.  At  that  instant  Mrs.  Tarpy  arrived, 
panting  somewhat,  but  determined. 

"Stop  a  momint,  missus,"  said  the  son  of 
Erin,  extending  his  club  impressively.  "  Do  n't 
you  go  no  further,  or  I  '11  hand  you  over  to  the 
'  Society  for  the  Prevention  av  Accumulation  av 
Childthren.'  Do  ye  mind  that,  now?" 

"Don't  delay  me,  mister  hofficer.  It's  a  little 
brat  'as  stole  me  Bible,"  panted  Mrs.  Tarpy. 

"  Your  Bible !  tut !  tut !  phat  'ud  the  loikes 
av  you  do  wid  a  Bible  ?  That  for  a  brazen 
lie  to  me  face.  Go  home,  woman  —  move  on, 
now !  move,  or  I  '11  put  the  twisters  on  ye  an' 


126  HER  OPPORTUN1 Y'K 

pull  ye  in  for  contimpt  av  coort.  A  Bible ! 
Howly  rnither !  Next  thing  ye  '11  be  accusing 
somebody  av  staling  a  church !  Move  on,  I 
say,  —  Phat,  to  me  face  ?  Come  along,  thin, 
come  —  Oho,  ye  will  go  paceable,  thin,  will  ye, 
an'  stay  at  home  where  ye  belong  ?  Go,  thin." 

She  went,  stopping  at  the  pawn-shop  to  ease  her 
mind,  and  push  a  pile  of  clothing  over  on  the 
alarmed  Hebrew,  and  then  continuing  her  journey 
with  black  looks  and  muttered  imprecations. 

Meanwhile  Mr.  Chick  kept  track  of  Jack  in 
spite  of  her  efforts  to  dodge  him.  Several 
times  he  essayed  to  speak  with  her,  but  she 
darted  off  and  eluded  him,  and  he  began  to 
fear  she  would  succeed  in  escaping  him  alto- 
gether, when  all  out  of  breath  she  stopped  in  a 
dark  doorway  and  sobbed  out,  — 

"  Say,  mister,  what  yer  follerin'  me  fur  ?  I 
ain't  done  notbin'." 

"  Why,  do  n't  you  know  me,  Jack  ?  "  exclaimed 
the  other,  in  great  surprise.  "  I  presumed  you 
recognized  me  from  the  first." 

"Jolly!"  said  she,  "if  it  ain't  Mr.  Hen! 
Wish  't  I  knowed  it  was  you  afore,  then  T  would  n't 
a  hurried  so.  Say,"  with  a  little  sob,  "say,  did 
you  know  that  grandad  wuz  dead  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  he,  his  voice  falling  into  a  tender, 
comforting  tone.  "We  all  know  it  now,  and  are 


AN  AMATEUR  DETECTIVE. 


awfully  sorry.  But  he  was  such  a  good  old  man, 
that  I  think  the  angels  took  him  right  straight 
up  to  heaven.  I  do  n't  suppose  he  is  blind  now, 
but  can  see  as  well  as  any  of  us,  and  he  must 
be  very,  very  happy." 

"  I    s'pose   so,    but   it  's   rough   on   me." 

"Perhaps,  —  that  is,  if  we  love  the  Lord  and  do 
what  is  right,  we  shall  see  him  sometime." 

The  young  man  spoke  with  difficulty,  for  this 
was  new  work  for  him. 

"  I  wish  't  I  could.  He  was  a  boss  old  man  ; 
never  cussed,  nor  swore,  nor  drank,  nor  nothing, 
jest  sold  pencils  and  prayed  for  me." 

"  Miss  Pitcairn  wanted  me  to  bring  you  up  tc 
her  house,  when  I  found  you,"  said  Mr.  Chick, 
awkwardly. 

"  What  !    on    Fifth   Avenyer  ?  "    exclaimed    Jack. 

"  Yes." 

"  When   does   she   want   me   to   come  ?  " 

"Right   away,"   was   the   reply. 

"  I  guess  I  wo  n't  go  to-night.  I  '11  see  yer 
to-morrow,"  was  the  child's  reply. 

"  But  where  are  you  going  to  sleep  ?  you  wo  n't 
go  back  to  the  attic  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Jack,  with,  a  little  shiver,  "  I 
sha'  n't  go  back  there,  cause  if  I  did,  the  old 
woman  would  kill  me  sure,  but  I  kin  find  some 
hole  to  crawl  inter  " 


128  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 


"Now,  see  here,"  said  Mr.  Chick,  in  his  most 
persuasive  tones,  "  my  cousin  will  be  awfully  put 
out  with  me,  if  I  lose  sight  of  you.  Now  I  '11 
tell  you  what  to  do, — you  go  to  some  nice,  re- 
spectable place,  and  get  a  room,  and  I  '11  give 
you  the  money  to  pay  for  it,  and  then  you  can 
see  Miss  Pitcairn  in  the  morning,  and  I  shall 
know  where  to  tell  her  to  go  to  see  you." 

Jack  was  too  tired  to  discuss  further,  so  she  ac- 
cepted fifty  cents,  but  absolutely  refused  more,  and 
began  to  look  for  the  right  place  to  spend  the  night. 

Many  houses  displayed  cards  variously  inscribed, 
"Furnished  Rooms  to  Let,"  and  erelong  they 
found  one  that  looked  respectable,  yet  was  not 
too  stylish,  and  taking  the  Bible,  Jack  mounted 
the  steps,  refusing  to  have  her  companion  appear 
in  the  bargain  for  a  room. 

Ever  obedient  to  feminine  caprice,  he  retired 
to  the  shadow  of  a  lamp-post,  and  waited,  —  but 
before  she  rang  the  bell,  Jack  beckoned  him 
nearer,  and  whispered,  with  a  sob  in  her  throat,  — 

"  Say,    you  've   been   awful    good    to    me." 

"  I  'm  glad  of  the  chance,"  said  Mr.  Chick, 
honestly,  kissing  his  hand  to  her,  and  again  re- 
tiring, while  she  mustered  courage  to  ring  the 
bell.  It  was,  not  answered  at  cnce,  and  she 
turned  about  and  looked  anxiously  at  her  friend, 
wondering  what  — 


AN  AM  A  TEUR  DE  TECTIVE.  1 29 

"Well,    what    is    it?" 

The  door  had  been  opened  by  a  brisk  looking 
woman,  and  Jack,  who  had  for  the  moment  for- 
gotten that  she  had  rung,  and  stood  leaning  her 
whole  weight  wearily  against  it,  almost  fell  into 
the  hall. 

"  Speak  up !  what  do  you  want  ? "  exclaimed 
the  woman,  eyeing  the  child  impatiently,  and  tol- 
erating her  only  because  of  the  big  book  she 
bore,  which  roused  her  curiosity. 

"Does  Mrs.  Smith  live  here?"  faltered  the 
child. 

"  Thai 's   my  name.     What   do   you   want  ? " 

Jack  almost  fainted,  for  she  had  no  idea  her 
hap-hazard  name  would  so  soon  find  an  owner 
Something  must  be  done  at  once,  for  the  woman 
was  growing  more  impatient,  so  she  said,  — 

"Can    I" 

"  Come  inside,  I  can't  stand  in  this  draught 
all  night  and  catch  my  death  of  cold." 

Jack    stepped  inside,    and    the    door   was   closed. 

Mr.  Chick,  secure  in  feeling  that  he  had  left 
her  safely  housed  until  morning,  made  careful 
note  of  the  street  and  number,  and  hurried  off 
to  his  lodgings, — not  at  the  Cosmopolitan  Hotel, 
but  at  the  Hoffman,  —  where  he  had  a  bath  and 
a  supper,  and  was  soon  dreaming  of  the  excit- 
ing scenes  through  which  he  'had  passed. 


1 3°  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


VIII. 


eiresses. 


Miss  Pitcairn  learned  that  Jack  had 
YY.  been  found  and  cared  for,  and  that  the 
Bible  containing  the  paper  that  was  to  be  of 
such  use  to  her  was  also  secured,  to  say  that 
she  was  delighted  would  but  feebly  describe  her 
emotions.  Pier  open  praise  of  Mr.  Chick  almost 
turned  that  young  gentleman's  head,  filling  it  with 
rapturous  imaginings  that  were,  at  least,  a  trifle 
premature. 

The  next  thing  was  to  have  the  waste  leaf 
raised,  and  its  secret  revealed.  That  this  might 
be  the  more  speedily  accomplished,  the  carriage 
was  despatched  at  an  hour  which  made  the 
coachman  deeply  indignant,  and  after  due  delay, 
the  little  girl  and  the  big  book  were  before  the 
brown  stone  front,  and  Belle  in  her  enthusiasm 
ran  down  the  steps,  deeply  shocking  the  foot- 
man, to  welcome  both. 

It  happened  that  the  Governor  was  at  home 
that  day,  suffering  from  an  attack  of  something 


TWO  HEIRESSES. 


that  greatly  resembled  gout,  but  which  he  called 
rheumatism,  with  a  peculiar  aggressiveness  that 
admitted  of  no  suggestion  that  it  was  any  thing 
else.  It  was  but  natural  that  Belle  should  hurry 
her  prizes  into  his  study,  and  expect  him  to 
admire,  before  he  knew  what  it  was  all  about. 
It  looked  very  much  as  if  his  petted  daughter 
had  been  taken  in  by  some  remarkable  specimen 
of  the  genus  agent.  He  glanced  first  at  the 
great  book  and  then  at  the  small  girl,  and  a 
look,  half  of  vexation,  half  of  amusement,  passed 
over  his  face  ;  yet  almost  any  thing  that  his  beau- 
tiful daughter  did  was  right  in  the  Governor's 
eyes,  so  he  laid  aside  the  morning  paper,  and 
replying  to  Belle's  introductory  remark,  said,  — 

"Open  the  book?  Why,  yes,  my  dear,  but  — 
is  it  very  difficult  ?  " 

"  O,  no,  that  's  not  it,  but  there  is  a  docu- 
ment within  the  waste  leaf  that  is  very  valuable, 
and  -  —  and  it  frightened  me  so,  I  wanted  you  to 
open  it." 

"Some  new  idea  in  a  prize  package  that  the 
girl  has  been  wheedled  into  buying.  Wonder 
what  she  paid,  and  why  people  do  n't  hire  bet- 
ter-dressed messengers,"  thought  he,  with  a 
twinkle  in  his  eye,  asserting  his  love  of  a  joke. 
Without  another  word  he  took  the  book,  and 
under  his  daughter's  direction  turned  to  the  back 


*32  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

cover,  and  found  the  waste  leaf  pasted  down. 
In  so  bulky  a  volume  as  this  Bible,  with  the 
raised  letters,  a  circumstance  like  this  was  not  at 
all  noticeable,  as  each  leaf,  and  the  cover  as 
well,  of  necessity  looked  thick  and  bulging.  A 
pen  knife  slipped  under  the  pasted  leaf  easily 
released  it,  and  within  were  revealed  a  letter 
and  a  sheet  of  paper,  yellow  with  age,  that  looked 
like  some  sort  of  a  deed  or  will. 

With  his  first  show  of  real  interest,  Mr.  Pit- 
cairn  asked,  — 

"  Whose   is   this   book  ?  " 

"  The  young  lady  gave  it  to  grandad,"  replied 
Jack,  who  had  been  keenly  watching  every  move- 
ment. 

"  Who   put   these   papers    in    here  ? " 

"  Me  and  grandad.  When  he  took  sick  he 
was  afraid  '  Big  Tom '  would  get  holt  of  them 
an'  tear  them  up,  or  burn  them,  so  I  got  some 
paste,  and  we  just  stuck  them  in  there." 

"  Do  you  know  what  is  in  these  papers  ? "  in- 
quired the  Governor,  still  holding  them  unopened 
in  his  hand. 

"  Yes,  sir,  the  letter  tells  who  I  am,  and  the 
yeller  paper  is  the  will  that  tells  about  my 
propputty,"  was  the  prompt  reply. 

"  And  your   name   is  " 

"Lucy  Betteredge  Jackman,"   said  the  waif,  with 


TWO  HEIRESSES,  133 


the   tone    of  a    child    who    had    learned    a   lesson 
through   the   most   painstaking  drilling. 

"  This  is  most  extraordinary,"  exclaimed  the 
Governor,  hastily  running  over  the  papers  and 
again  turning  to  the  group  that  were  now  rein- 
forced by  Mrs.  Pitcairn  and  Mr.  Chick.  "Daugh- 
ter," continued  he,  "  tell  me  in  detail  all  you 
know  about  this  singular  affair." 

So  Belle,  her  cheeks  red  with  excitement,  her 
eyes  alight  with  the  romance  of  the  affair,  re- 
hearsed rapidly  all  she  knew  of  Jack  from  the 
moment  she  first  met  her  in  the  box  factory. 
Then  Mr.  Chick  indorsed  what  she  had  said, 
and  lastly  Jack  herself  told  all  that  she  could 
remember  of  the  early  years  of  her  life,  which 
by  the  way,  wa^  but  little. 

The  letter  written  by  the  blind  man,  which 
was  a  marvel  of  neatness,  gave  the  names  of 
witnesses  who  could  prove  Jack  to  be  Lucy 
Jackman,  daughter  of  Frank  E.  Jackman  and 
Matilda  Betteredge.  The  will  gave  the  name  of 
the  mother  as  owning  the  property,  but  during 
her  lifetime  it  was  to  be  held  in  trust  by  her 
brother,  Thomas  Betteredge. 

"  Who  is  this  Thomas  Betteredge  ?  "  asked  the 
Governor. 

"  He  is  '  Big  Tom '  what  tends  bar  down  in 
Conlon's.  Folks  say  he  really  owns  the  place, 


134  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


but  he  pertends  he  do  n't.  '  Big  Tom '  was  hang- 
ing round  all  the  time  when  grandad  was  sick, 
and  he  hunted  all  through  the  room,  makin' 
believe  he  was  lookin'  fur  to  see  if  the  mice 
was  injuring  the  house.  An'  then  I  heard  him 
tell  grandad  if  he  said  a  word  to  a  soul  about 
something  or  nuther,  that  the  kid  should  n't  live 
to  enjoy  it." 

"This  piece  of  property  is  described  as  a 
building  on  the  corner  of  Midnight  and  Bruges 
Streets,  —  it  must  be  part  of  the  'Wedge,'"  said 
Mr.  Pitcairn. 

"Why,  papa,  how  did  you  know  that?"  ex- 
claimed Belle,  greatly  surprised.  "  I  'm  sure  none 
of  us  have  mentioned  that  name." 

"Very  true,"  was  the  reply,  "but  v>e  have 
one  among  us  who  owns  a  second  corner  of  this 
historic  '  Wedge.' ' 

Belle  looked  puzzled  and  asked,   "Is  it  m \rnma?" 

"No,  dear,  it  is  your  own  innocent  sr1!  The 
storage  house,  at  what  might  be  terrred  the 
apex  of  the  '  Wedge,'  is  yours,  with  the  rest  of 
Grandfather  Van  Alstyne's  real  estate.  L  lies  at 
the  corner  of  Bruges  and  Van  Alstyne  Greets, 
and  was  occupied  by  Grandfather  Van  .^.'styne 
years  ago,  as  a  warehouse  for  silks  and  other 
goods  from  the  China  trade." 

"  I    remember    the    building,"    said   Belle   s)»  wly 


TWO  HEIRESSES.  135 


and  soberly,  "  and  I  think  I  am  sorry  that  it 
belongs  to  me.  It  seems  dreadful  to  own  prop- 
erty in  that  neighborhood.  Since  I  have  been 
down  there,  the  sights  and  sounds  have  fairly 
haunted  me,  they  are  so  full  of  sin  and  wretch- 
edness." 

The  mother's  heart  was  stirred  by  this  out- 
burst, and  the  graceful,  gentle  woman  glided 
over  and  slipped  an  arm  about  her  daughter's 
waist,  saying,  — 

"  You  must  not  go  there  again,  darling,  and  it 
need  not  trouble  you  that  father's  old  warehouse 
still  remains  in  the  family.  Since  it  was  built  the 
character  of  the  neighborhood  has  entirely  changed. 
It  may  change  again,  and  for  the  better." 

Jack,  who  had  been  watching  this  little  scene 
between  mother  and  daughter,  said,  with  a  sob 
in  her  throat,  — 

"  When  I  get  my  propputty  that  rum-shop  has 
just  got  to  'git.'  It's  them  places  that  spiles  a 
neighborhood." 

"  There 's  a  reformer  for  yon  ! "  laughed  the 
Governor.  "  When  she  is  grown,  things  will 
have  to  move  in  straight  paths." 

After  a  serious  talk  between  the  members  of 
the  Pitcairn  household,  it  was  decided  to  keep 
Jack  with  them  for  a  few  weeks,  at  least,  until 
it  was  possible  to  learn  just  where  she  belonged, 


HER   OPPORTUNITY. 


and  her  inheritance  could  be  secured  to  her. 
This  course  necessitated  a  complete  outfit  in 
clothing,  a  room  of  her  own,  and  an  initiation 
into  the  mysteries  of  civilized  life.  As  this  latter 
was  a  work  of  some  little  time,  it  was  found 
advisable  to  secure  for  her  a  governess,  and  al- 
most before  Jack  knew  it,  she  was  transformed 
into  a  very  proper  little  girl  named  Lucy,  who 
had  regular  studies  each  day,  and  was  no  longer 
allowed  to  run  down  the  streets  bare-footed  and 
with  tangled  hair,  calling  the  morning  papers. 

In  the  meantime  the  Governor  put  the  mat- 
ter of  righting  the  little  waif  into  the  hands  of 
the  legal  firm  of  which  he  was  a  member,  and 
the  work  of  getting  witnesses  and  preparing  for 
the  Court  of  Probate  went  rapidly  on.  As  this 
is  but  a  side  issue  in  our  story,  we  may  as 
well  state  that  there  was  no  trouble  in  proving 
that  the  property  belonged  to  the  child,  and  that 
she  had  been  defrauded  of  rentals  for  a  long 
time  back.  The  sudden  absence  of  '  Big  Tom  ' 
prevented  any  thing  being  done  towards  the  re- 
covery of  this  money,  and  Conlon's  lease  having 
run  out,  the  place  was  shut  up  until  a  desira- 
ble tenant  could  be  secured.  The  court  appointed 
Miss  Belle  Pitcairn  guardian  of  the  child  Lucy 
Jackman,  according  to  her  desire,  and  the  work 
of  her  education  went  on  slowly,  but  surely. 


TWO  HEIRESSES.  137 


It  happened,  soon  after  this,  that  the  Professor 
was  at  the  home  of  the  Governor  to  pay  a 
"party  call,"  and  as  was  natural  the  talk  drifted 
from  the  news  of  the  day  to  the  part  of  the 
city  which  .had  been  of  such  deep  interest  to 
them  all  — the  "Wedge." 

"  I  see  you  have  let  the  Conlon  saloon  to  an 
old  friend  of  mine,"  said  he. 

"  Yes,  the  agent  came  to  me  a  week  ago  with 
Mr.  Thomas,  and  I  had  papa  look  him  up,  and 
found  that  he  was  just  the  man  for  the  place." 

"  I  have  known  him  for  many  years,"  contin- 
ued the  Professor,  warmly,  and  a  more  conscien- 
tious man  does  not  live.  He  has  laid  aside 
money-getting,  —  and  his  prospects  were  brilliant, 
—  to  go  among  the  poorer  people  as  missionary. 
By  the  way,  is  he  related  to  Miss  Kate  Thomas, 
whom  I  met  here  one  evening  ?  She  also  was 
a  missionary,  I  think?" 

"  At  present  they  are  not  related,  but  expect 
to  be  this  week,"  was  the  smiling  reply. 

"  Indeed !  of  the  same  name,  the  same  faith, 
and  the  same  purpose  in  life,  they  certainly 
should  be  happy." 

"I  am  sure  they  will  be,  and  am  so  thankful 
that  Kate  can  still  continue  her  work,  for  she 
has  grown  invaluable  to  me,"  replied  Belle. 

Neither    the    Professor    nor  the    world   at   large 


138  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 


were  aware  that  the  rent,  for  the  rooms  at 
Conlon's,  hereafter  to  be  known  as  the  "  Faith 
Mission,"  was  regularly  sent  by  Belle  to  the 
new  Mrs.  Thomas,  and  by  her  given  to  the 
agent  who  managed  the  property  for  the  blind 
man's  granddaughter.  The  responsibility  that 
she  felt  as  an  owner  of  property  in  so  wretched 
a  place  as  the  "Wedge,"  and  now  the  additional 
feeling  that  she  was  answerable,  in  part,  for  the 
good  management  of  her  ward's  place,  had  led 
her  to  do  so  much  towards  sweetening  the  at- 
mosphere. She  felt  that  good  would  be  done  by 
the  Mission,  with  its  evening  songs  and  its 
work  among  those  who  could  be  induced  to 
come  in  there ;  but  she  wanted  some  wider  and 
more  sweeping  change  than  this,  and  just  how 
it  was  to  be  accomplished,  or,  indeed,  what  its 
outward  manifestation  would  be,  she  had  no  idea 
as  yet.  How  many  times  she  had  encouraged 
conversation  with  "  workers,"  missionaries,  and 
reformers,  hoping  that  some  practical  plan  would 
be  suggested  that  would  make  the  way  plain, 
but  it  came  not.  Her  father,  engrossed  in  busi- 
ness, was  ever  willing  to  put  his  hand  deep 
down  in  his  pocket  for  charitable  or  religious 
projects,  and  was  not  at  all  averse  to  her  spending 
money  in  the  same  way;  but  even  that  did  not 
suit  her.  She  wanted  her  work  to  go  further 


TWO  HEIRESSES.  139 

than  to  just  feed  and  clothe  the  girls  in  her 
mill ;  she  wanted  to  reach  the  heart,  the  soul, 
and  to  awaken  in  them  a  desire  to  be  doing 
for  others. 

It  often  happens  that  woman,  while  she  may 
be  modest  and  ladylike  in  every  thing,  appreciates 
the  fact  that  her  word  is  law  with  many  of  the 
sterner  sex,  that  she  can  mould  their  actions 
and  cause  them  to  do  well  or  ill  as  she  wishes. 
If  she  offers  a  glass  of  wine  in  dainty  ban- 
ter, few  enjoy  refusing  it,  —  if,  on  the  other 
hand,  she  is  opposed  to  its  use,  her  admirers 
are  at  once  carefully  abstinent.  Belle  knew,  if 
she  so  desired,  an  association  of  young  people 
could  be  formed  in  their  rich  city  church,  that 
would  put  missionaries  at  work  in  this  quarter, 
—  that  would  send  old  clothes  down  to  the 
half-clad  children,  and  that  would  do  good.  She 
knew  that  Mr.  Chick  would  be  a  leader  in  this 
for  her  sake,  that  there  were  other  young  men 
who  would  come  in  if  only  the  ladies  took 
the  initiative ;  but  that  did  not  satisfy  her.  It 
should  be  a  work  for  its  own  sake,  not  for 
the  sake  of  some  lady  friend,  and  she  also  felt 
that  a  way  should  be  devised  by  which  these 
people  could  help  themselves. 

"  Is  the  missionary  spirit  still  striving  ? "  in- 
quired the  Professor,  as  Belle  awakened  from  an 


14°  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

instant's  reverie  to  find  him  smiling  at  her  rapt 
look. 

"  If  I  say  yes,  you  will  imagine  that  you  are 
a  mind-reader,  which  would  be  a  calamity,"  re- 
plied she,  brightly ;  "  but  I  will  acknowledge 
this,  —  my  brief  acquaintance  with  the  miserable 
condition  of  the  people  at  the  '  Wedge '  makes 
me  long  to  help  them.  Something  should  be 
done,  —  must  be  done,  and  the  question  that  I 
am  trying  to  settle  is,  what  can  /  do  ?  My  mill, 
as  yet,  only  touches  a  few  of  the  residents 
there." 

"An  honest  ambition,  and  one  in  which  the 
Lord  will  show  the  way,"  replied  he,  heartily, 
somewhat  to  her  surprise,  for  he  was  naturally 
reticent  on  religious  matters. 

"Thank  you,"  she  replied,  "you  are  the  only 
one  of  my  society  friends  who,  as  yet,  believe 
in  my  plans.  Of  course  they  say  it  is  '  sweet 
of  me,'  and  all  that,  but  they  don't  say,  'Your 
purpose  is  honest,  God  bless  you  in  it.' " 


"A   FREEZE   OUT." 


IX. 
e/i 


§HUT  in  a  tiny  mahogany  closet,  with  the 
telephone,  Stanley  Armitage  was  conversing 
with  a  friend  who  was  a  well-known  West-side 
manufacturer. 

"Do   you   accept   my   offer?"    he   called. 

"  Say  it  again,  somebody  cut  us  off  just  when 
you  reached  the  interesting  part,"  came  in  a 
muffled  voice  from  the  further  side  of  the  city. 

"  My  proposition  is  this  :  I  will  let  you  have 
the  money  you  asked  for,  provided  you  let  me 
have  the  control  of  the  votes  of  a  'majority  of 
your  stock  on  a  scheme  for  a  combination." 

"  But  are  n't  paper  boxes  a  trifle  out  of  your 
line  ?  " 

"  Possibly,  but  I  have  a  side  issue  to  bring 
about,  by  means  of  this  combination,  that  will 
be  of  advantage  to  me,  and  incidentally  will  help 
your  business.  I  can't  elaborate  my  plans  by 
telephone,  but  if  you  can  arrange  to  dine  with 


/42  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

me,  this  evening  at  the  Hoffman,  I  shall  be 
glad  to  give  you  all  of  the  details." 

"All  right,  good -by,"  came  over  the  wire, 
and  the  railroad  king,  with  a  look  of  shrewd 
satisfaction  on  his  handsome  face,  went  back 
into  his  office,  and  was  soon  deep  in  the  intri- 
cate problems  of  his  regular  business. 

That  evening,  true  to  the  appointment,  the 
gentleman  came,  and  seated  before  a  sumptuous 
repast,  was  in  a  position  to  receive  very  favora- 
bly any  proposition  that  his  wealthy  host  might 
bring  forward.  Two  hours  at  the  table  sufficed 
to  dispose  of  the  various  courses,  and  further  to 
arrange  a  plan  whereby  Stanley  Armitage  became 
a  stockholder  in  the  Eagle  Box  Manufacturing 
Company,  and  so  placed  that,  with  his  guest's 
assistance,  he  could  control  a  large  majority  of 
the  votes  cast  by  the  holders  of  stock. 

When  this  arrangement  was  consummated  and 
the  gentleman  had  been  made  a  director  in  the 
company,  he  began  at  once  with  his  own  peculiar 
energy  to  make  his  presence  felt.  In  the  first 
place  he  took  time  to  learn  the  line  of  goods 
manufactured,  the  profits  at  the  present  market 
prices,  and  the  amount  of  goods  that  the  market 
would  stand.  When  he  had  mastered  these  nec- 
essary details,  and  had  a  list  of  the  competitors 
in  the  business,  he  brought  out  his  first  address 


"A  FREEZE  OUT."  143 


on  the  subject  of  a  combination,  or  as  it  is  often 
called  a  "trust."  It  was  at  a  regular  meeting  of 
the  board  of  directors  that  he  defined  his  wishes, 
which  by  this  time  had  become  the  law  of  the 
corporation  ;  he  said,  — 

"The  business  done  by  this  firm  should,  at  fair 
prices,  net  us  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  a 
year,  instead  of  thirty  or  forty.  The  trouble  is, 
all  of  the  box  manufacturers  are  cutting  prices, 
and  in  doing  that  are  cutting  each  others'  throats. 
It  is  time  it  was  stopped,  and  the  only  thing 
that  will  avail  to  stop  it  is  an  iron-clad  combi- 
nation of  the  reputable  firms,  and  the  '  freezing 
out '  of  the  rest.  Now,  let  our  Secretary  notify 
the  list  of  box  manufacturers  that  I  have  handed 
him,  to  consider  this  question  and  to  attend  a 
meeting  here,  say,  —  next  Monday.  Let  each 
send  a  representative,  with  full  power  to  act. 
You  may  add  that  I  will  address  the  meeting." 

The  plan  was  received  with  enthusiasm,  and 
the  circulars  went  out,  —  the  only  mill  of  -im- 
portance that  was  ignored  in  this  general  con- 
ference being  the  Van  Alstyne  Manufacturing 
Company,  in  Harlem. 

Perhaps  it  was  fortunate  that  the  Secretary  of 
the  company  knew  so  little  of  the  private  affairs 
of  Mr.  Armitage,  else  he  surely  would  have  sus- 
pected there  were  personal  interests  at  stake, 


144  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

when  he  received  so  positive  an  order  to  pass 
that  house  by. 

"  But,  I  understand  they  are  a  growing  firm, 
and  doing  a  large  business,  with  plenty  of  capi- 
tal back  of  them,"  he  had  ventured  timidly. 

"I  intend  to  force  them  out  of  the  business!" 
was  the  short  reply,  and  the  Secretary  wisely 
forbore  to  question  further.  In  a  word,  that 
was  the  cause  of  the  gentleman's  sudden  interest 
in  box  manufacture.  He  disapproved  of  Belle's 
course  in  owning  and  running  a  factory,  even  if 
it  did  good,  yet  was  too  proud  to  say  a  word 
to  her  against  her  pet  project.  He,  therefore, 
intended  to  employ  a  method  not  uncommon, 
that  of  forming  a  strong  combination  and  of  "freez 
ing  out "  those  who  are  unwelcome.  He  was 
confident  that  the  Van  Alstyne  mill  would  not 
be  run  at  a  loss,  and  even  if  it  were,  for  a  time, 
and  Miss  Pitcairn  lost  fifty  or  a  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars,  he  could  make  it  all  right  with  her 
when  she  had  given  it  up  and  surrendered  her- 
self entirely  to  him.  Even  in  the  midst  of  his 
planning  to  wreck  her  business  and  dash  her 
hopes,  he  gave  indulgence  to  love  dreams ;  the 
resistance  that  he  met  with,  of  late,  tending  in 
no  way  to  diminish  his  passion. 

When  the  day  appointed  came,  and  with  it  a 
goodly  gathering  of  those  interested,  Mr.  Armi- 


*A  FREEZE  OUT.*  145 


tage  appeared  at  his  best,  and  laid  down  a  line 
of  procedure,  that,  after  considerable  discussion, 
was  unanimously  adopted. 

Thus  it  was  that  a  "  trust "  as  strong  as  any 
in  the  country  was  formed,  and  the  Van  Alstyne 
mill  left  out  in  the  cold.  A  well-known  feature 
of  such  combinations  is  the  crushing  of  compe- 
tition, by  means  fair  or  foul,  and  in  this  case 
to  the  Hebrew  Moses  was  delegated  the  task  of 
driving  the  Van  Alstyne  Manufacturing  Company 
out  of  the  market. 

"  Would  it  not  be  more  in  accordance  with 
commercial  courtesy,  to  offer  first  to  purchase 
their  place,  thus  giving  them  a  chance  to  get 
out  without  loss  ? "  inquired  one  of  those  present, 
when  this  matter  was  up  for  discussion. 

"  Perhaps  so,  but  this  factory  is  operated  on  a 
different  plan  from  ours.  It  is  controlled  by  the 
help,  and  for  the  help,  and,  if  it  is  not  made  a 
signal  failure,  it  will,  in  my  judgment,  bring 
about  a  dissatisfaction  among  our  employes,  that 
will  cost  us  many  thousands  of  dollars.  This 
new  doctrine,  that  capital  must  take  a  back  seat, 
and  allow  labor  to  come  to  the  front  and  enjoy 
all  the  fruits  of  enterprise  and  thrift,  is  a  dan- 
gerous menace  to  our  interests,  and  I  am  in 
favor  of  stamping  out  this  new  heresy  so  harshly 
that  it  shall  be  a  lasting  lesson." 


146  HER  OPPORTUNITY, 

To  this  statement  of  the  case,  there  was  no 
reply,  and  the  Van  Alstyne  Co.npany  was  doomed, 
as  far  as  the  combination  was  concerned.  Moses, 
his  face  aglow  with  anticipation  at  the  thought  of 
"getting  even  with  the  vooman  box-maker,"  went 
back  to  his  factory  and  instructed  his  salesman 
to  offer  goods  to  all  of  the  Van  Alstyne  cus- 
tomers at  five  per  cent,  below  the  prices  then 
ruling,  and  to  continue  this  "  cutting,"  no  mat- 
ter how  low  prices  dropped.  In  the  mean  time 
the  other  mills  kept  up  their  regular  lines  of 
goods,  and  Moses  shared  in  their  profits  through 
his  stock  in  the  trust,  even  if  his  own  mill 
kept  on  at  a  loss. 

The  first  intimation  that  Miss  Pitcairn  had 
that  the  new  combination  was  in  any  manner  to 
injure  her  business,  was  in  the  gradual  diminu- 
tion of  orders.  Night  after  night  Miss  Murdock 
came  back  to  the  office  with  smaller  orders,  and 
sometimes  with  none  at  all,  and  with  the  con- 
stant complaint  that  somebody  was  underselling 
them.  Of  course  this  necessitated  a  "drop  in 
price "  to  get  the  work,  —  an  expedient  that 
availed  for  a  short  time,  but  was  met  by  the 
hidden  enemy,  who  quoted  a  still  lower  price, 
and  thus  was  able  to  secure  the  contracts. 

One  morning,  during  this  time  of  trouble, 
Miss  Pitcairn  was  opening  the  morning  mail, 


"A   FREEZE   OUT."  147 

a  small  one  compared  with  what  it  had  been, 
when  looking  out  of  the  window  she  saw  a 
young  man  sauntering  leisurely  by,  eyeing  the 
factory  with  a  keenness  that  ill  comported  with 
his  lazy  air.  In  a  misty  way  it  came  to  her 
that  she  had  seen  this  man  a  number  of  times 
during  the  past  week,  and  always  in  that  vicinity. 
As  he  passed  the  door  of  the  shipping-room,  he 
paused  to  exchange  a  jovial  word  with  the  ex- 
pressman, and  to  give  him  a  cigar,  while  with  a 
swift,  comprehensive  glance  he  read  the  address  of  a 
huge  crate  of  boxes.  Then  he  passed  on  lazily  till 
some  distance  up  the  street,  when  in  fancied  se- 
curity he  drew  out  a  note-book  and  wrote  the  name 
and  address  that  he  had  read  on  the  crate. 

"  One  of  my  best  customers,"  remarked  a 
pleasant  voice  at  his  elbow,  and  turning  quickly, 
the  spy  saw  Miss  Pitcairn. 

"I  —  I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  stammered,  a 
look  of  shame  coming  into  his  face. 

"  May  I  ask  you  to  come  into  my  office  for 
a  few  moments'  conversation  ? "  asked  the  young 
lady,  still  pleasantly. 

"  I  'm    in   somewhat   of   a   hurry  " 

"  Let  us  not  misunderstand  each  other.  I 
recognize  your  profession,  and  wish  to  talk  with 
you  on  business.  Of  course  I  comprehend  that 
you  are  not  here  through  any  feeling  of  malice 


HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


on  your  part,  but  simply  because  you  are  well 
paid  to  be  here.  Now  it  is  possible  that  you 
are  ambitious  to  earn  more." 

"You  have  said  enough,"  said  the  detective, 
his  self-possession  returning,  and  a  smile  break- 
ing over  his  face.  "  I  will  gladly  hear  your 
proposition  in  your  office." 

Returning  to  the  factory,  the  lady  ushered  her 
caller  in,  now  perfectly  at  his  case,  and  feeling 
that  he  was  in  a  fair  way  to  make  some  money. 
When  seated,  Miss  Pitcairn  took  out  a  check 
book,  and  said  with  a  sweet  smile,  — 

"  I  do  not  expect  you  to  serve  me  in  any 
way,  even  to  talk,  without  pay,  and  I  will  now 
draw  you  a  check  for  one  hundred  dollars,  — 
your  name,  please?" 

The  young  man  hesitated,  glanced  around  the 
room,  and  then,  emboldened  by  the  fact  that 
there  were  no  witnesses,  told  the  truth,  when 
he  said,  "Arthur  E.  Williams." 

"  Now,"  said  Miss  Pitcairn,  "  it  is  necessary 
that  I  know  exactly  how  matters  stand,  that  I 
may  circumvent  my  enemies.  By  whom  are 
you  employed?" 

"By  Moses  Cohen  &  Co.,  for  the  Box  Trust," 
was  the  bold  reply. 

"  What  are  your  duties  with  reference  to  my 
mill?" 


"A  FREEZE  OUT."  1 49 

"To  secure  the  names  of  all  customers  who  call, 
to  get  the  addresses  on  all  packages,  and  to 
disaffect  your  help  as  much  as  possible." 

"How   long   have  you   been   doing   this?" 

"  About   three   weeks." 

"  How  far  along  are  you  now  ? "  was  the  next 
question,  after  a  pause. 

"The  names  of  all  your  customers  are  secured, 
with  one  or  two  exceptions.  My  next  job  will 
be  to  tackle  the  help,  and  I  was  planning  to 
begin  at  that,  next  Monday." 

"  One  thing  in  your  replies  makes  me  a  trifle 
suspicious  of  your  sincerity.  You  are  very  frank 
and  very  explicit.  Why  is  it  ? "  asked  Belle 
pointedly. 

The   young  man    flushed,  and   then  answered,  — 

"  I  have  two  reasons :  The  first  is,  you  have 
given  me  quite  a  substantial  retainer,  and  I 
hope  for  more ;  the  second  is,  there  are  no 
witnesses,  and  you  would'  find  it  difficult  to 
prove  any  thing  against  me." 

"  One  thing  more,  I  wish  to  ascertain,"  said 
Miss  Pitcairn.  "  How  much  are  you  paid  for 
this  system  of  spying  ? " 

"Two  hundred  dollars  a  month,"  said  the 
young  fellow,  with  a  look  of  annoyance  at  the 
word  so  obnoxious  to  detectives. 

While  the    last    question    was    being    answered, 


15°  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

Miss  Pitcairn  had  pushed  an  electric  button,  and 
in  obedience  to  the  signal  the  burly  engineer  came 
in  and  stood  quietly,  waiting  as  if  to  ask  a 
question.  Without  noticing  him,  Miss  Pitcairn 
rose,  stepped  to  a  curtain  that  hung  but  a  few 
feet  away,  and  drawing  it  aside  disclosed  her 
stenographer,  who  was  quietly  gathering  up  a 
half  dozen  sheets  of  paper. 

"You  have  this  gentleman's  statement  in  full, 
Clara?"  she  inquired,  with  dignity. 

"Yes,    Miss." 

"  Read   it   over,    please  ;    perhaps " 

"I  shall  not  allow  the  lady  to  retain  those 
papers,"  said  the  young  man,  determinedly  step- 
ping toward  the  amanuensis. 

"You  can't  say  'shall'  or  'will'  in  this  'ere 
office,"  said  the  engineer,  coming  forward. 

"I  am  an  officer  of  the  law.  Stand  aside!" 
roared  the  other. 

The  big  engineer,  without  another  word,  picked 
the  refractory  detective  up  in  his  arms,  carried 
him  to  the  door,  and  gently  dropped  him  on  the 
sidewalk,  where  he  stood  for  a  moment,  almost 
bursting  with  rage,  and  then,  realizing  the  com- 
pleteness of  his  defeat,  hurried  off  out  of  sight. 

The  next  day  a  circular,  headed  "The  Box  Con- 
spiracy," and  containing  a  verbatim  report  of  the 
interview,  was  sent  to  all  of  the  former  custom- 


"A  FREEZE  OUT.n 


ers,  and  to  their  credit  be  it  said,  many  began 
again  to  buy  of  the  Van  Alstyne  Manufacturing 
Company.  The  good  turn  that  things  had  taken 
was  but  temporary,  for  the*  trust,  in  secret 
session,  reprimanded  Moses  Cohen  for  divulging 
its  secrets,  and  elected  another  mill  to  carry  on 
the  warfare  with  the  Harlem  company,  and  to 
do  it  "decently  and  discreetly."  The  result  was 
as  before,  that  orders  were  hard  to  get  and  that 
there  was  but  little  profit  in  manufacturing  th»* 
staple  goods. 

About  this  time  Miss  Pitcairn,  determination 
stamped  on  every  feature,  called  on  a  box-mak- 
ing house,  —  the  very  one,  it  happened,  that 
Armitage  had  secured  control  of,  —  and  requested 
an  interview  with  the  manager.  She  was  ushered 
into  a  handsome  office,  where  sat  a  benevolent- 
looking  gentleman  of  some  fifty  years  of  age,  the 
same  who  had  dined  with  the  railroad  king  when 
the  details  of  the  combination  were  formed, 

"  Happy  to  see  you,  Miss.  Pray,  be  seated. 
How  can  we  serve  you  to-day  ?  " 

"  1  called  to  see  if  some  arrangement  could 
be  made  that  would  allow  me  to  manufacture 
goods  at  a  small  profit,  instead  of  a  constant 
loss,"  said  she,  coming  directly  to  the  point. 

"But  I  do  not  understand.  What  has  our  firm  to 
do  with  this  ?  "  he  replied,  with  apparent  surprise. 


I  $2  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

"  Have  you  not  the  ear  of  the  trust,  so  that 
my  business  could  be  let  alone,  in  case  I  agree 
not  to  cut  prices  ? " 

The  indulgent  smile  that  greeted  this  speech 
was  calculated  to  make  the  caller  feel  exceed- 
ingly small,  but  it  did  not  succeed,  and  after  a 
pause  he  said,  — 

"  The  newspapers  have  a  great  deal  to  say 
about  trusts,  and  I  believe  they  have  given  the 
public  to  understand  that  there  is  a  box-trust. 
Now,  it  may  be  so ;  but  if  it  is,  I  should  be 
glad  to  know  it,  and  join  it  myself.  There  is 
need  enough  of  it,  for  there  is  no  money  in 
the  business  at  present." 

"Do  you  deny  that  there  is  such  a  combina- 
tion?" asked  Miss  Pitcairn. 

"Not  at  all;  not  at  all.  There  may  be  two 
or  three  of  them ;  but,  you  see,  our  line  differs 
a  little  from  the  rest,  for  we  cater  to  trade  that 
want  goods  of  special  kinds,  that  have  originated 
with  us.  Wish  we  could  help  you,  but  really  I 
am  inclined  to  think  that  it  is  the  hard  times 
that  are  troubling  you,  more  than  any  real  or 
imaginary  trust.  Really,  my  young  friend,  if 
you  will  pardon  my  saying  it,  I  doubt  if  you 
have  the  peculiar  traits  that  are  so  necessary  in 
'  '*e  successful  manufacturer." 

"You   refer   to   the  faculty  for  spying  on   other 


"A  FREEZE  OUT."  153 

firms  ? "  asked  Belle,  so  innocently  and  pleasantly 
that  the  man  did  not  know  he  was  hit  till  af- 
ter she  was  gone,  when  the  shot  began  to  rankle, 
and  he  was  angry  and  ashamed  by  turns. 


154  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


X. 

le.  <§/iel0ifi0r). 


'irrjp 


[HE  narrative  of  Mr.  Chick's  adventures  at  the 
"  Wedge,"  and  mere  especially  at  the  Cos- 
mopolitan Hotel,  had  proved  quite  a  treat  to  his 
friends,  and  had  resulted  in  calls  from  various 
club-men,  who  became  acquainted  with  McFadden, 
and  were  tendered  the  hospitality  of  his  hostelry, 
with  hearty  good-will.  As  a  rule,  these  youths 
saw  nothing  of  especial  interest,  and  having  once 
been  in  the  place  were  content  and  thereafter 
remained  away.  Of  the  visitors  who  were  led 
to  an  acquaintance  with  the  thrifty  Scotchman 
through  Mr.  Chick's  introduction,  Professor  Buck- 
ingham was,  perhaps,  the  most  distinguished. 

From  the  time  of  his  first  visit,  both  McFad- 
den and  O'Toole  had  taken  a  strong  liking  to 
him,  always  inviting  him  into  the  "private  of 
fice,"  a  basement  where  stood  a  small  furnace 
and  engine,  and  where,  when  the  weather  was 
chilly,  the  friends  of  the  proprietor  gathered  to 
talk  politics  and  socialism.  In  point  of  fact,  it 


SIMPLE  ADDITION;  155 

was  here  that  a  brotherhood,  of  which  McFadden, 
unknown  to  the  world,  was  president,  had  its 
inception,  and  here  secret  conclaves  had  been 
held  until,  the  membership  increasing,  a  larger 
apartment  was  found  necessary.  It  is  possible 
that  the  wily  Scot  hoped  to  convert  the  talented 
young  scholar  to  his  own  peculiar  views,  and 
gain  a  recruit,  whose  strength  should  be  as  a 
thousand,  when  he  let  him  into  this  sanctum. 

However  this  may  be,  the  Professor  was  treated 
with  the  warmest  cordiality,  and  his  views  list- 
ened to  with  respect,  if  not  always  accepted  as 
correct. 

Almost  the  first  difference  of  opinion  that  came 
up  between  Mr.  Buckingham  and  the  habitues 
of  the  Cosmopolitan,  was  the  temperance  ques- 
tion. It  was  introduced  by  O'Toole,  who,-  his 
jolly  red  face  beaming  with  hospitality,  passed  a 
flat  bottle  over  to  the  distinguished  guest,  saying, — 

"  Take   a   drop   o'    comfort,    Priffesser  ! " 

"  Thanks !  I  am  too  much  of  a  chemist  to 
poison  myself!"  was  the  smiling  reply. 

"  Pizen  !  "  exclaimed  the  Irishman,  with  a  quick 
flash  of  temper.  "  An'  do  you  ye  think  that  we 
are  such  blackguards  here,  that  we  would  pit 
pizen  in  yer  drink  ?  " 

"O,  no;  not  that!  I  referred  only  to  the 
poison  that  all  whiskey  contains." 


156  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

"O  ho!  I  see;  but  I'll  fix  that  all  straight 
for  ye.  Sure  it 's  McFad,  up-sthairs,  has  a  fine 
lot  av  ould  poort  wine,  just  phvvat  ye  want,  an' 
if  ye  '11  wait  a  bit,  I  '11  fetch  ye  down  a  pull 
av  it." 

Quick-motioned  and  full  of  the  new  idea,  and 
moreover  possessed  by  an  uneasy  hospitality,  the 
speaker  darted  up  the  stairs,  and  soon  returned, 
not  with  the  wine,  but  with  McFadden,  who, 
with  Scotch  carefulness,  wished  to  see  that  it 
really  was  for  the  guest  before  the  cork  was 
drawn.  Doubtless  his  natural  frugality  was  in 
this  case,  in  a  measure,  supplemented  by  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  weakness  of  his  co-worker. 

"O'Toole  tals  me  that  ye  were  wishin'  fur  a 
drop  o'  poort,"  said  the  latter,  cordially.  "Noo 
here 's  a  wine  that  is  a  pure  juice  o'  the  grape, 
an'  lively  enough  to  put  life  into  a  graven 
eemage.  I  oopen  it  wi'  pleasure." 

The  Professor  was  a  man  of  discrimination, 
and  while  the  Scotchman  spoke,  was  rapidly  re- 
volving a  course  of  action.  He  was,  to  begin 
with,  aware  that  the  laboring  men  make  but  little 
distinction  between  different  kinds  of  alcoholic 
drinks;  that  they  believed  the  fine  wines  are 
imbibed  for  precisely  the  same  reasons  as  are 
the  stronger  liquors,  —  the  object  in  each  case 
being  a  "cheering  of  the  heart,"  —  an  artificial 


SIMPLE  ADDITION.  157 

exaltation ;  in  other  words,  a  certain  degree  of 
intoxication.  Although  a  Christian,  he  had  never 
experienced  scruples  at  dinner  parties  in  drinking 
a  glass  of  wine,  for  he  had  been  educated  to 
believe  it  to  be  a  generous  and  goodly  custom. 
Many  times  had  he  been  approached  by  those 
who  were  deemed  fanatics  on  the  temperance 
question,  and  bored  by  appeals  that  seemed 
ridiculous ;  but  now  there  suddenly  flashed  across 
him  a  new  phase  of  this  question,  and  as  he 
would  not  evade  an  issue  when  fairly  presented, 
he  faced  this,  and  acknowledged  that  he  had  been 
blind  to  a  patent  fact.  The  thought  that  produced 
such  instant  conviction  was,  that  alcohol  was  al- 
cohol, whatever  it  might  be  named,  and  wherever 
served,  and  that  drinking  was  drinking,  whether 
among  the  Mite  of  the  wealthiest  city  in  the 
Union,  or  among  the  coal  handlers  and  stevedores 
of  the  same  city's  water  settlements. 

With  singular  force  came  to  mind  the  remem- 
brance of  the  look  on  Miss  Pitcairn's  face  when 
a  brilliant,  young  society  man,  who  had  taken 
too  much  champagne,  was  being  hurried  out  of 
sight.  Her  look  had  said :  "  That  man  is  intoxi- 
cated, disgraced ;  the  only  one,  perhaps,  in  all 
this  company  who  has  overstepped  the  bounds  of 
moderation,  and  yet,"  —  here  her  glance  had  wan- 
dered up  and  down  the  long  table,  where  gath- 


OPPORTUNITY. 


ered  the  wit,  beauty,  and  genius  of  a  half  dozen 
cities,  with  a  look  that  he  could  not  at  the  time 
fathom.  Like  a  flash  it  came  to  him  now  that 
she  was  wondering  if  the  sin  were  not  the  same, 
whether  or  not  the  consequences  were  then  appar- 
ent ?  Had  not  her  woman's  intuition  recognized 
what  many  wise  men,  many  mighty  men,  have 
failed  to  perceive  —  that  the  dallying  with  tempta- 
tion was  wrong?  After  all,  was  it  not  plain  that 
when  there  was  no  tampering  with  questionable 
things,  there  would  be  an  end  to  sinning?  Was 
it  not  the  part  of  wisdom  to  let  alone  the  thing. 
which  had  been  a  constant  source  of  misery  to 
others  ? 

It  was  an  eloquent  sermon  that  the  remem- 
brance of  the  young  lady's  beautiful  face,  full 
of  surprise,  pity,  and  sudden  awakening,  was 
now  preaching  to  the  Professor. 

The  decision  that  these  thoughts  led  to  was, 
"Touch  not,  taste  not,  handle  not,!'  and  of  all 
the  unpopular  principles  that  he  had  in  the  past 
deliberately  scorned,  this  was  to  him  the  most 
unpleasant.  Yet  he  at  once  accepted  the  situa- 
tion, and  replying  to  McFadden's  invitation  to 
taste  of  the  wine,  said  positively,  but  without 
the  regulation  horror  in  his  voice,  — 

"I  have  decided  never  to  drink  intoxicating 
liquor  again." 


SIMPLE  ADDITION.  159 


"  Eh,  raon,  dear !  but  why  did  ye  sautid  for 
it,  else?"  inquired  the  host,  with  profound  amaze- 
ment. 

"Your  friend  thought  my  refusal  of  the  whiskey 
meant  a  call  for  a  different  liquor ;  he  was 
wrong.  I  believe  you  will  agree  with  me  in  say- 
ing that  enough  misery  has  already  been  brought 
about  by  alcohol  to  warrant  its  being  forever 
boycotted." 

"  That 's  true  enough,  an'  so  it  is,"  said 
O'Toole,  wiping  his  lips  and  restoring  his  own 
private  bottle  to  his  pocket.  "  It 's  phwat  I  'd 
like  to  do;  but  the  bye  that  tries  to  byecott 
whiskey  down  here  is  just  the  bye  that's  goin' 
to  be  cott  by  it  himself." 

After  this  speech  he  sat  back  in  silence  and 
waited  for  the  Scotchman's  ideas  upon  a  subject 
in  which  he  certainly  should  be  deeply  interested, 
as  a  prominent  part  of  his  business  was  the  dis- 
pensing of  liquors  to  the  "roomers,"  the  "bunkers," 
and  the  occupants  of  the  "Jouncer."  In  addition 
to  these  regular  customers,  he  also  had  a  goodly 
trade  from  the  outside,  where  his  wide  acquaint- 
ance and  advanced  ideas  had  made  him  a  man 
of  considerable  prominence. 

"Meaning  nae  eensult,  ye  are  what  I  suld 
ca'  a  fanatic ! "  said  he,  with  a  solemnly  ag- 
gressive look  through  a  pair  of  immense  iron- 


l6o  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


bowed  spectacles,  which  he  had  assumed  the 
instant  there  was  an  indication  that  a  discussion 
was  coming. 

If  one  assaulted  McFadden's  jealously-defended 
theories  when  he  was  without  his  spectacles,  he 
could  not  protect  himself,  but  would  hunt  in- 
dustriously and  silently  for  this  intellectual  armor, 
and  once  found,  would  turn  the  tables  with  a 
vigor  that  almost  invariably  won  the  battle. 

The  Professor  was  not  aware  that*  the  Scotch- 
man was  making  ready  for  a  word-battle,  and 
•was  therefore  totally  unprepared  for  an  outburst; 
but  O'Toole,  who  had  been  in  many  a  debate 
with  this  doughty  champion,  was  highly  gratified 
to  see  a  man  as  "well  learned"  as  their  guest 
about  to  be  worsted. 

"  I  hae  verra  little  seempathy  wi'  them  as 
canna'  controol  their  appetites,  and  I  dinna  be- 
lieve the  cock-an'-bull  tales  aboot  liquor  ruining 
men  as  the  fanatics  claim." 

"Fanatics,"  thought  the  other,  "that  is  what 
I  used  to  call  the  temperance  advocates,  with 
perhaps  a  mitigation  of  the  accent,  r.nd  now  I 
am  called  one."  Then  aloud,  "Well,  if  it  is 
fanaticism  to  see  things  as  they  are,  and  not  to 
be  afraid  to  say  so,  why,  I  am  a  fanatic." 

"Thrue   for   you,"    said   the    Irishman. 

"The     truth   o'     it     is,"     remarked     McFadden, 


SIMPLE  ADDITION.  l6l 


"there  is  a  band  o'  persons  and  lecturers  wha' 
are  doon  on  drink,  because  they  see  the  profits 
in  the  business,  which  they  canna  share  on 
account  o'  public  sentiment,  ye  ken,  and  they 
joost  lee  and  lee  aboot  it.  I  ca'  to  mind  a 
case  vvheer  a  young  mon  lay  a-deein",  and  the 
doctor  giv  him  poort  wine  and  keppit  him 
alive  for  weeks,  and  when  he  finally  deed  the 
meenester  claimed  that  the  wine  killed  him,  but 
every  ain  o'  any  sense  kenned  that  he  deed  o' 
toobucles  on  the  lungs." 

"  Two  buckles  on  the  lungs  ?  How  many 
buckles  should  a  man  have  on  his  lungs  ? "  in- 
quired O'Toole,  interestedly,  and  with  tipsy 
gravity. 

"  Only  one,  I  suppose,"  said  the  fireman,  who 
had  joined  the  group. 

"  I  suppose  so,"  echoed  the  other  in  a  tone 
of  doubtful  assent. 

"  Have  you  ever  known  any  one  die  of  hard 
drinking  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Buckingham. 

"  I  hav  knoon  those  that  never  tasted  it  to 
dee  sooner  than  those  that  spent  all  their  days 
in  carousin',"  was  the  evasion. 

"  Let  us  stick  to  the  point  in  question,"  said 
the  other  courteously,  "which  is,  Have  you  known 
one  man  who  came  to  his  death  through  drink  :  " 

It    was    McFadden's     special    privilege    to    con- 


1 62  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

tinuully  request  his  opponent  to  stick  to  the 
point,  and  for  the  other  side  to  get  ahead  oi 
him  in  this,  and  request  him  to  desist  from 
wandering,  was  an  unexpected  set  back,  and  for 
the  moment  confused  him. 

"I  preesume  that  auld  John  Duncan  drank 
himself  to  deeth,"  he  admitted. 

"  So  he  did.  I  was  n't  thinkin'  av  him,  sure 
I  was  rememberin'  young  Bob  Jacobs,"  said 
Q'Toole. 

"  And  I  was  thinkin'  o'  Terrance  Cotter  and 
his  wife,  and  it's  a  queer  thing,  but  every  one 
of  his  five  boys  wjnt  just  as  the  old  folks 
went,"  said  the  fireman. 

"  Nine  persons  in  all,"  said  the  Professor, 
sententiously. 

"  Eh,  and  what  o'  that  ?  Look  at  yeer  rail- 
road and  steamboat  accidents,  and  yeer  boiler 
explosions.  Noo  that  I  ca'  it  to  mind,  there 
was  ain  but  last  week  that  killed  the  same 
number  —  nine,  and  right  in  this  deestrict,  too. 
Wud  ye  banish  all  o'  the  boilers  ? " 

"Thrue  for  you,"  said  his  friend,  approvingly, 
"an'  that  accidence  goes  to  prove  just  phwat 
McFadden  is  saying,  for  the  only  man  in  the 
place  that  had  a  bit  o'  liquor  in  him,  was  the 
engineer,  and  he  was  n't  killed." 

"  How   did   that   happen  ?  " 


SIMPLE  ADDITION.  163 

"  He  just  wint  acrosth  the  strate  to  get  a 
sup  o'  something  to  wet  his  whistle,  he  havin' 
been  on  a  bit  of  a  spree  the  day  before,  and 
he  staid  longer  than  he  thought,  and  the  boil- 
ers was  old,  so  whin  the  staim  run  up,  sure 
they  jist  bust." 

"  And  nine  more  were  killed  by  rum  ! "  inter- 
posed the  Professor,  with  energy. 

The  announcement  caused  a  sudden  silence, 
broken  at  length  by  the  fireman,  who  said, — 

"  That 's  so.  If  the  engineer  had  attended  to 
his  boiler,  instead  of  being  drunk,  he  would 
have  kept  the  steam  down,  and  not  been  across 
the  street  in  a  rum-hole.  It  was  the  fault  of 
rum,  and  I  believe  in  putting  blame  just  where 
it  belongs." 

"  Eighteen  persons  thought  of  in  so  short  a 
time,  who  came  to  their  death  directly  through 
the  use  of  liquor,"  said  the  new  temperance 
advocate,  impressively. 

"I  dinna  like  the  way  that  this  conversation 
is  teending,"  said  McFadden.  "  This  is  a  sub- 
ject that  has  poozzled  the  minds  o'  many  wise 
men.  Theer  's  nae  use  o'  being  dogmatic  on 
it,  —  we  differ,  an'  that 's  the  eend  o'  it." 

This  sudden  and  unaccountable  backing  down, 
astonished  O'Toole,  who  said,  — 

'  Gracious    man,   why    do  n't    ye    stick    to   your 


164  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

side  ?  Sure  the  man  that 's  had  the  wide  expe- 
rience av  yourself  should  never  own  bate.  Why, 
Priffiser,  dear,  ye  don't  know  phwat  a  harrd  man 
to  convince  McFaclden  is.  Sure  he  niver  will 
own  bate.  Even  whin  his  own  son  had  the 
'Snakes,'  and  jumped  in  front  av  a  train,  an' 
was  kilt,  sure,  he  would  n't  own  that  it  was  the 
liquor  that  done  it." 

With  a  face  convulsed  with  agony,  the  old 
Scotchman  threw  the  wine  bottle  into  a  corner, 
and  rushed  up  stairs,  while  the  other,  partly 
sobered  by  the  sight  of  his  friend's  anguish, 
broke  into  a  true  Irish  wail  of  sympathy. 

As  for  the  fireman,  he  turned  to  his  fire  with 
a  stolid  face,  but  by  his  nervous  movements 
testified  to  an  emotion  that  one  would  at  first 
think  him  incapable  of  experiencing. 


FASHIONABLE  EFFORT.  165 


XI. 

B1 
<as 


tMONG  the  members  of  the  up-town  church 
to  which  the  Governor's  family  belonged, 
was  Mrs.  Crittenden,  a  lady  well  known  as  a 
worker  in  many  good  causes,  and  one  who  con- 
tributed to  the  support  of  several  missions  in  the 
less  respectable  parts  of  the  city.  She  was  the 
teacher  of  a  large  class  of  young  misses,  daugh- 
ters of  wealth,  and  was  by  them  greatly  admired. 

One  afternoon,  when  Belle  was  in  the  midst 
of  a  reverie,  in  which  her  newly  discovered  prop- 
erty at  the  East  Side  had  a  prominent  place, 
this  lady  was  announced.  Bustling  in,  she  kissed 
her  warmly  and  said,  — 

"  Do  you  know,  my  dear,  I  have  been  think- 
ing of  you  all  day  long  ?  " 

"  What  can  I  have  done  to  deserve  such  a 
compliment  ?  "  asked  Belle. 

"  You  've  done  a  great  deal,"  replied  the  lady, 
fanning  herself,  and  glancing  at  the  pier-glass 
opposite,  to  see  if  her  attire  was  becoming 


1 66  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

"  Your  earnestness  among  the  young  people  has 
been  a  blessing  to  them.  To  be  as  devoted  as 
you  are  is  ever  a  power  among  the  gay  and 
thoughtless.  The  girls  in  my  class  have,  I  am 
sure,  been  influenced  by  the  efforts  that  you  are 
making  at  the  "Faith  Mission,"  and  are  eager 
to  join  the  movement.  They  have,  therefore, 
been  planning  to  give  some  of  the  children  con- 
nected with  the  Mission  an  entertainment.  Is  it 
not  sweet  of  them  ? " 

"  It  is,  indeed,"  was  Miss  Pitcairn's  earnest 
reply.  "  There  is  nothing,  I  believe,  that  will 
do  so  much  good  to  our  society  girls  as  to  come 
directly  in  contact  with  the  poverty  of  the  city, 
and  show  those  whom  they  help  that  it  is  for 
the  Master's  sake." 

"How  true  that  is,"  said  Mrs.  Crittenden,  the 
quick  tears  springing  to  her  eyes.  "  Our  girls 
are  threatened  with  hopeless  frivolity.  As  chil- 
dren of  wealth  and  fashion  they  are  petted,  flat- 
tered, and  taught  to  think  only  of  themselves. 
The  suffering  that  sin  has  brought  into  the 
world  is  carefully  kept  from  them,  and  they 
have  no  idea  that  they  can  be  helpers,  for  they 
do  not  know  what  the  needs  are.  The  fields 
are  white  to  harvest,  but  society  has  built  such 
high  fences  that  our  girls  can  not  even  catch  s 
glimpse  of  the  ripening  grain" 


FASHIONABLE  EFFORT.  l6/ 

Belle  was  deeply  stirred  by  this  earnestness, 
and  her  heart  warmed  into  full  sympathy  with 
this  "woman  of  the  world,"  whom  she  felt  she 
had,  in  the  past,  misjudged. 

"  Why  can  not  you  be  with  us  at  the  little 
gathering?"  said  Mrs.  Cwttenden,  cordially.  "All 
of  my  class  will  be  there.  The  dear  girls  are 
very  enthusiastic  about  the  affair,  and  would  be 
so  pleased  to  see  you !  Are  you  engaged  for 
to-morrow  evening  ? " 

"  Does  it  come  as  soon  as  that  ? "  asked  Belle, 
doubtfully. 

"Yes,  I  thought,  now  that  the  fall  weather 
had  fairly  begun,  it  would  be  well  to  see  these 
children  and  give  them  warmer  clothing  and  a 
good  start  for  the  winter.  Prevention  is  so  much 
better  than  cure.  Of  course  we  might  have 
waited  for  the  New  Year,  but  all  through  the 
bitterly  cold  months  these  unfortunates  would  be 
suffering  and  waiting  for  us  to  move.  You  will 
come.  We  can  not  get  along  without  you." 

"Very  well,  I  v/ill  gladly  be  there,"  said  Belle. 
"  Is  it  at  your  house  that  the  entertainment  is 
to  be  given  ?  " 

"  No,  —  you  know  Egbert  is  so  fussy  about 
the  people  we  entertain,  that,  without  broaching 
the  matter  to  him,  I  engaged  a  large  apartment 
on  Madison  Avenue,  and  shall  have  the  children 


1 68  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

brought  there.  Here  is  the  address.  They  will 
get  there  at  six  o'clock,  and  stay  until  eight.  I 
have  been  to  Mrs.  Thomas,  and  made  all  ar- 
rangements, and  I  truly  believe  it  will  be  a  day 
long  remembered  in  the  lives  of  these  little 
ones."  • 

The  following  afternoon,  Belle  was  passing  her 
father's  office,  and  stepped  in  a  moment  for  the 
warm  welcome  she  always  received,  no  matter 
how  high  his  desk  was  piled  with  documents. 
For  once  she  found  him  disengaged  and  about 
to  go  home,  and  as  the  clock  chimed  the  hour 
of  five,  he  shut  his  desk,  saying,  — 

"  No  more  work  to-day,  daughter.  What  is  the 
programme  for  this  evening?" 

She  told  him  of  Mrs.  Crittenden's  enterprise, 
and  her  promise  to  attend,  speaking  earnestly 
of  the  kindness  of  heart  shown  by  the  lady, 
and  of  the  good  effect  likely  to  follow  such  ef- 
for',  both  to  the  little  arabs,  and  also  to  the 
wealthy  young  misses.  Through  the  whole  re- 
cital the  Governor's  eyes  were  brimming  with 
mirthfulness,  while  his  face  was  as  sober  as  if 
he  sat  on  the  supreme  bench. 

"  Am  I  not  included  in  the  invitation  ? "  he 
inquired. 

"  O,  papa,  will  you  come  ?  It  would  please 
Mrs.  Crittenden,  and  I  should  enjoy  it  so  much 


FASHIONABLE  EFFORT.  169 


more.       Mamma    is   away,    so    that   it   need  n't   in- 
terfere  with  dinner." 

The  idea  seemed  to  please  the  Governor,  for 
he  dispatched  a  note  to  his  home,  and  then 
after  further  inquiry  into  the  nature  of  the  plan, 
put  on  a  light  fall  overcoat,  and  escorted  his 
daughter  to  the  street.  A  quiet  dinner  at  Del- 
monico's  followed,  and  then  humoring  his  com- 
panion, he  dismissed  the  carriage  that  he  had 
summoned,  and  boarded  a  horse-car  instead. 
When  seated  and  cognizant  of  their  surround- 
ings, they  were  astonished  to  see  that  instead 
of  the  quota  of  fashionably-attired  business  men, 
that  they  might  expect  to  encounter  at  this 
hour,  there  were  only  children,  and  such  children ! 
Little  tots  of  both  sexes  dressed  in  every  va- 
riety of  costume,  —  some  with  shoes,  and  some 
without ;  some  with  hats,  and  others  hatless  ; 
some  clean,  some  semi-clean,  and  others  posi- 
tively dirty.  All  of  them  threadbare,  patched, 
or  ragged,  but  bubbling  over  with  life  and  fun, 
—  their  bright  eyes  sparkling  with  anticipation ; 
their  shrill  voices  mingling  in  an  incessant  chat- 
ter that  had  in  it  an  undertone  of  unalloyed 
delight.  They  were  in  the  care  of  a  plainly- 
dressed,  sweet-faced  lady,  who  seemed  to  have 
their  fullest  confidence  and  love,  for  whatever 
happened  they  mentioned  it  to  her,  and  who- 


17°  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


ever  said  any  thing  funny,  looked  to  her  for 
an  answering  smile. 

"A  poor  children's  picnic,"  said  the  Governor, 
looking  kindly  down  on  the  little  ones. 

"  Papa,  these  are  Mrs.  Crittenden's  children," 
said  Belle,  "and  this  is  Mrs.  Thomas." 

The  Governor  at  once  recognized  the  mis- 
sionary, now  a  bride,  and  a  very  busy  one,  and 
inquired  the  cause  of  the  general  rejoicing,  and 
the  destination  of  the  little  ones.  Mrs.  Thomas 
answered,  — 

That  a  wealthy  and  benevolent  lady  had  sent 
word  down  to  the  Mission  that  she  wanted  forty 
of  the  most  forlorn  of  the  children  in  that  part 
of  the  city  collected  and  brought  down  to  a 
given  address,  on  such  a  date,  that  the  girls  in 
her  class  might  come  face  to  face  with  real 
want,  and  have  the  gratification  and  blessing  of 
being  able  to  relieve  it ;  the  lady  had  added  that 
Miss  Pitcairn  favored  the  plan. 

"  Was  it  not  quite  a  task  to  marshal  this 
company  ?  "  was  the  inquiry. 

"  Yes,  sir,  it  was.  I  spent  all  day  yesterday 
among  the  families,  getting  the  consent  of  the 
parents,  and  assuring  myself  that  the  children 
knew  when  they  were  to  start,  and  where  they 
were  to  meet  me.  Getting  them  together  to-day 
and  on  the  cars  without  accident  has  tired  me  out, 


FASHIONABLE  EFFORT. 


but  the  little  ones  enjoy  it,"  replied  Kate,  stoop- 
ing and  recovering  a  shoe  that  had  dropped 
from  a  foot  that  was  several  inches  from  the 
floor,  and  slipping  it  on, — an  easy  thing  to 
do  by  the  way,  for  it  was  by  no  means  a 
tight  fit. 

"  Will  not  this  movement  on  the  part  of  the 
young  girls,  to  do  something  practical  for  the 
poorer  people,  be  of  great  benefit  to  them  ? " 
asked  Belle. 

"  I  sincerely  hope  so,"  was  the  earnest  reply, 
"  but  I  have  seen  so  many  experiments  of  this 
kind,  and  the  good  results  are  so  small,  that  I 
fear  I  am  skeptical.  In  this  case,  I  confess  I 
hope  for  something  different  from  the  usual 
patronizing  effort, — but  one  can  never  tell  what 
the  day  is  to  bring  forth." 

"  I  wish  you  could  give  us  an  idea  of  the 
usual  process  and  its  faults,"  said  the  Governor; 
but  there  was  not  time  then,  for  they  had 
reached  the  number  given  on  the  address-card, 
and  the  children  were  already  moving  toward 
the  end  of  the  car,  each  striving  to  be  first  in 
getting  off,  while  the  missionary,  like  a  genuine 
shepherdess,  was  directing  them,  with  a  keen 
eye  for  the  weaker  ones,  and  words  of  ad- 
monition for  those  who  acted  with  any  attempt 
at  rudeness. 


172  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

"  There,  there,  Johnnie,  do  n't  be  pushing 
Gracie  Denny;  she  is  such  a  little  girl,  and 
you  so  large  a  boy,"  she  continued. 

"  She  pushed  me  first,"  Johnnie  replied,  shame- 
facedly. 

"  I  'd  div  him  a  slap  in  e'  mouf,"  Gracie 
declared  valiantly,  assured  of  the  support  of  her 
teacher,  and  amazed  that  this  measure  should  be 
at  once  deprecated. 

"  Say,  teacher,  that  girl  with  the  '  cock  eye  '  is 
callin'  me  names,"  a  young  Hebrew  called  sud- 
denly, stopping  the  whole  procession  for  instant 
adjustment. 

"O,  I  never!  I  just  called  him  'Sheeny,' 
and  he  is  a  Sheeny,  so  now ! " 

"  Hush,  here  we  are !  Now,  boys,  take  off  your 
caps,  and  behave  like  gentlemen." 

Belle  puzzled  over  the  statement  that  the  Jew 
boy  was  a  "  Sheeny,"  until  enlightened  by  a 
traveled  friend,  at  a  later  date,  who  informed 
her  that  it  was  a  name  for  the  Hebrews,  orig- 
inating, no  one  knew  where,  as  a  term  of  re- 
proach, which,  although  in  itself  meaningless,  was 
deemed  an  insult  by  an  Israelite. 

During  the  evening  she  added  several  words 
to  her  vocabulary,  that  she  had  never  encoun- 
tered before,  and  had  she  been  the  happy  pos- 
sessor of  the  popular  "  common-place  book," 


FASHIONABLE  EFFORT.  1 73 


might  have  noted  phrases,  and  even  incidents, 
that  would  have  greatly  adorned  it. 

On  entering  the  house,  Miss  Pitcairn  was 
greeted  by  Mrs.  Crittenden,  who  was  flushed 
with  gratification  as  she  saw  the  noble  form  of 
the  Governor  towering  amid  the  rabble  of  small 
folks.  As  usual,  he  was  benignly  courteous,  and 
watched  the  proceedings  with  interest.  As  a 
matter  of  course,  the  young  girls  of  Mrs.  Crit- 
tenclen's  class,  varying  in  age  from  fourteen  to 
sixteen,  knew  Belle,  thought  her  "  perfectly 
lovely,"  and  at  once  gathered  around  her  to 
chatter,  and  make  mental  notes  of  her  suit,  for 
home  discussion  with  some  fashionable  dress- 
maker. Aside  from  the  rest,  stood  a  bright- 
looking  young  man,  drinking  in  every  detail  of 
the  affair,  and  taking  occasional  notes. 

"That  is  a  reporter.  Isn't  he  lovely?  He 
has  just  graduated  from  college,  and  is  wealthy, 
but  instead  of  doing  nothing  as  most  young 
men  would,  he  works  awfully  hard  for  his  paper. 
I  do  adore  literary  gentlemen,"  whispered  a  pre- 
cocious miss. 

"Is  he  going  to  report  this  gathering?"  said 
another. 

"Yes,  isn't  it  splendid?  Mrs.  Crittenden  in- 
vited him  to  be  present.  I  'm  so  glad  I  wore  my 
new  satin,  and  I  do  hope  when  he  describes 


1/4  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 


my  dress  that  he  will  give  the  shade,  for  it 's  the 
very  latest  thing  in  Paris,"  replied  the  first  speaker. 

"Why,  he  won't  describe  our  dress  as  if  it 
were  a  real  society  reception?"  gasped  a  miss, 
who,  reluctantly  obedient  to  home  commands, 
was  attired  with  some  semblance  of  plainness. 
Then  with  tears  in  her  eyes,  she  turned  to  her 
teacher,  with  the  indignant  wail, — 

"O,  Mrs.  Crittcmlcn,  '  Min '  says  that  horrid 
reporter  is  going  to  describe  our  dress,  and 
mamma  made  me  wear  this  old  one  on  account 
of  the  feelings  of  the  children ;  I  shall  be  for- 
ever disgraced." 

"  Never  fear,  darling.  He  will  only  make  a 
general  mention  of  the  tasteful  attire  of  my 
girls,  with  the  names  of  the  class,  and  a  word 
about  their  social  position.  The  report  will  be 
submitted  to  me  for  revision,  so  we  need  not 
be  in  the  least  alarmed,"  was  the  comforting 
assurance,  accompanied  by  a  loving  caress,  a 
grateful  touch,  replete  with  elegance,  and  full 
of  suggestion  to  a  close  observer  of  careful 
mirror  practice. 

Mrs.  Thomas,  who  had  by  this  time  learned  the 
location  of  the  apartment  destined  to  be  occu- 
pied by  the  children,  —  it  was  the  large  front 
parlor,  —  ushering  them  into  it,  now  stood  look- 
ing about  her  in  dismay  and  vexation, 


FASHIONABLE  EFFORT.  17$ 

A  description  of  the  furnishings  of  *  the  room 
will  take  but  little  time,  and  afford  a  key  to 
her  embarrassment.  To  begin  with,  the  walls 
were  hung  with  the  richest  of  tapestry,  and  the 
ceiling  beautifully  frescoed.  From  an  elaborate 
centre  piece  hung  a  massive  chandelier.  At 
the  large  windows  were  rich  lambrequins  and 
lace  curtains,  the  latter  being  pinned  up  out  of 
reach.  Around  the  room,  extending  from  the 
floor  to  a  height  of  five  feet,  ran  a  border  of 
white  cotton  cloth,  —  a  species  of  apron  to  pro- 
tect the  costly  -tapestry.  An  iron  screen,  held 
in  place  by  screws,  blocked  the  fireplace.  The 
crowning  glory  of  this  decoration  was  the  seat- 
ing accommodations  of  the  room,  which  consisted 
of  white  cloth  spread  upon  the  carpetless  floor 
close  against  the  walls,  and  here  it  was  that 
the  dulcet  tones  of  the  head  of  this  worthy 
enterprise  bade  Mrs.  Thomas  seat  her  wonder- 
ing charges. 

If  ever  smothered  rebellion  lurked  in  any 
one's  eyes,  it  did  in  Kate's,  —  but  after  a  pause, 
ostensibly  to  look  the  children  over,  she  issued 
her  orders,  and  the  little  ones  were  soon  trans- 
ferred into  "wall  flowers,"  with  very  straight  backs, 
and  equally  straight  legs,  the  latter  members,  in 
some  cases,  extending  outwards  a  surprising  dis- 
tance, and  presenting  a  diversity  and  poverty 


176  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

of  foot  gear  and  limb  apparel  that  many  of 
the  sensitive  would  gladly  have  hidden. 

There  was  no  escape  from  the  ordeal,  and 
there  they  sat  in  rectangular  misery,  wondering 
what  next  would  be  required  of  them. 

The  young  ladies  to  whom  they  owed  this 
good  time,  grouped  themselves  on  the  side  of 
the  room  next  to  the  entrance,  and  with  the 
teacher  surveyed  their  proteges  with  graceful 
compassion. 

A  solemn  silence  prevailed,  that  was  only  in- 
tensified by  the  uneasy  motions  of  some  little 
one  who,  ready  to  cry  from  a  sense  of  scrutiny, 
and  conscious  for  the  first  time  that  her  little 
knees  were  black  with  dirt,  tried  vainly  to  make 
a  brief  dress  reach  as  far  as  when  she  stood  up. 
Two  only  of  all  the  sitters  appeared  cheerful,  — 
two  boys,  —  each  of  whom  had  a  stone-bruise 
on  the  toe,  and  striking  up  a  friendly  compari- 
son, had  forgotten  the  existence  of  the  rest  of 
the  world. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  it  was  early  fall, 
and  the  cool  winds  that  are  so  delightful  in  the 
heat  of  summer,  at  this  period  of  the  year  make 
it  peculiarly  chilly,  and  a  fire  is  as  great  a  com- 
fort as  when  the  thermometer  is  at  zero.  The 
fir  place  being  blocked  up,  for  reasons  best  known 
t-  the  management,  the  chill  had  for  several 


FASHIONABLE  EFFORT. 


days  been  creeping  into  the  apartment,  until  now 
it  was  actually  cold.  Mrs.  Crittenclen  felt  it,  and 
assumed  a  lovely  shoulder  wrap,  and  one  after 
another,  her  flock  slipped  out,  and  reappeared 
with  something  pretty  and  warm  to  protect  them 
from  the  inclemency  of  the  room. 

"Do  you  suppose  those  children  feel  the  chill?" 
asked  one  of  the  girls. 

"  No,  indeed,"  replied  another,  "  they  are  used 
to  rooms  without  a  fire.  If  the  fireplace  were 
opened  and  a  fire  built,  they  would  be  positively 
uncomfortable.  Mrs.  Crittenden  said  so,  and 
then  at  least  one  of  them  would  surely  fall  in 
and  be  burned." 

"  I  have  seated  the  children  in  this  manner, 
that  my  young  ladies  might  see  them  as  they 
are,  at  rest,  needy  and  helpless,  and  that  their 
hearts  mights  be  stirred  with  pity,"  said  Mrs. 
Crittenden,  in  a  low  tone  to  the  missionary. 

The  latter  made  no  reply,  but  glanced  at  the 
their  faces  as  if  to  read  the  amount  of  com- 
passion there  written.  Ere  she  had  finished  her 
scrutiny,  at  a  sign  from  the  hostess,  a  waiter 
came  in  rapidly,  and  deftly  distributed  napkins 
and  plates  among  the  children,  and  as  quickly 
left  the  room.  Returning,  before  they  had  a 
chance  to  solve  the  problem  as  to  the  use  of 
the  former  articles,  he  gave  out  heaping  saucers 


I/8  HER   OPPORTUNITY, 

of  ice  cream,  and  then  passed  baskets  full  of 
the  richest  cake. 

Kate  Thomas,  curbing  her  desire  to  "wash  her 
hands  of  the  whole  affair,"  went  among  the 
youngsters,  spreading  the  napkins  over  bare 
knees,  and  encouraging  the  startled  little  ones 
to  venture  a  spoonful  of  the  delicious  cream. 
To  a  few  of  them  it  was  not  a  novelty,  but 
the  majority  were  as  much  amazed  at  its  un- 
qualified coldness,  as  if  they  had  come  from  the 
heart  of  Africa.  The  cake  they  liked,  but  the 
ice  cream,  that  is,  before  it  melted,  was  not  a 
success.  Still  they  ate  it  in  gingerly  bits,  with 
blue  lips  and  faces  that  were  very  expressive. 

The  first  round  of  cream  being  exhausted,  a 
second  was  served,  but  this  time  the  children 
were  not  to  be  awed  into  eating  any  thing  more 
so  frigid,  —  with  two  exceptions  they  let  it  alone. 
These  two,  unobserved,  made  theirs  up  into 
snow-balls  and  laid  them  in  their  hats  to  hit 
somebody  with  when  the  agony  was  over.  This 
laudable  design,  however,  was  thwarted  by  Mrs. 
Crittenden,  who  lengthened  the  rest  of  the  pro- 
gramme to  such  an  extent,  that  all  that  re- 
mained of  the  missiles  were  two  pink  pools, 
which  were  emptied  out  on  the  floor  cloth  so 
slyly  that  none  had  opportunity  to  hinder. 

After     supper,     Mrs.     Crittenden,     with    a    con- 


FASHIONABLE  EFFORT.  1 79 


eluding  speech,  presented  to  each  little  girl  a 
hood,  a  pair  of  mittens,  and  a  pair  of  stockings. 
The  boys  received  the  same,  with  the  exception 
of  the  first  named  article,  which  in  their  case 
was  a  woolen  cap ;  then,  after  a  vain  attempt 
to  extort  a  song  from  their  guests,  the  sufferers 
were  allowed  to  depart. 

The  Governor  and  his  daughter  had  almost 
reached  home  ere  reference  was  made  to  the 
unique  entertainment  ;  then  he  said,  jestingly,  — 

"  How  very  happy  those  children  were !  Did 
you  take  note  of  it  ?  What  a  grand,  good  time 
they  must  have  had  ! " 

"  You  are  making  fun,  now,  papa,  but  I  am 
glad  I  was  there,  for  I  have  learned  something," 
said  Belle,  with  an  unusual  earnestness  in  her 
voice. 

"  Ah,    and   what    may   it   be  ? "    was    the    query. 

"  That  the  idea  of  doing  good  to  people  by 
sending  for  them  to  come  to  us,  is  a  failure ; 
we  must  go  to  them.  None  of  Mrs.  Critten- 
den's  girls  would  go  to  the  homes  of  any  of 
these  children.  They  would  be  afraid  to  do  it, 
—  afraid  of  catching  some  disease,  or  of  meet- 
ing desperadoes.  I  am  dreadfully  disappointed. 
The  little  ones  looked  so  blue,  and  cold,  and 
frightened.  And  poor  Kate  saw  the  ridiculous 
part  of  the  whole  affair  from  the  beginning,  and 


ISO  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

yet   kept   her   temper,  —  she    is    a    marvel    of    pa- 
tience." 

"I  am  surprised  that  you  have  come  to  such 
a  conclusion,"  said  the  Governor,  teasingly,  "for 
I  had  just  formulated  a  plan  for  a  syndicate 
that  should  control  the  importation  of  pagans, 
that  their  condition  might  be  ameliorated  without 
trouble  or  risk  to  our  missionaries,  —  our  adver 
tisement  would  read,  — '  Heathen  imported  for 
Conversion  —  Special  rates  on  car-load  lots.' ' 


M STANDING  ROOM  ONLY.*  l8l 


XII. 


I  go  to  church?  No,  Miss,  I  don't, 
and  it  ain't  no  use  ter  ask  me  to  go, 
either." 

"  Why  ?  " 

"Well,  because  it's  jest  the  rich  an'  'risto- 
cratic  that  goes,  and  they  do  n't  want  poor  folks 
there.  O,  you  may  be  all  right,  but  I  tell  yer 
where  there  is  so  much  smoke,  there  is  some 
fire,  and  most  of  the  common  folks  feels  as  I 
do." 

The  speaker  was  one  of  the  dwellers  at  the 
"Devil's  Wedge,"  and  the  person  whom  he 
addressed  was  Mrs.  Kate  Thomas.  Again  and 
again  had  she  met  this  strange  antipathy  that 
the  masses  are  coming  to  feel  toward  churches, 
and  it  troubled  her  exceedingly.  To  be  sure, 
she  argued,  it  came  from  a  misconception  of  the 
actual  state  of  affairs  ;  but  that  lightened  her 
burden  only  a  trifle,  when  she  further  reflected 


1 82  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


that  the  means  for  enlightening  these  blinded 
ones  were  painfully  meager. 

In  her  next  week's  report  Mrs.  Thomas  faith- 
fully portrayed  her  trouble,  and  in  her  eagerness 
to  have  the  Gospel  preached  to  the  people  in 
her  district,  was  ready  for  almost  any  personal 
sacrifice.  Her  suggestions  were  always  carefully 
considered  by  her  fair  patroness,  and  this  time 
an  interested  conversation  ensued. 

"  Suppose  a  chapel  be  built  down  there  ? " 
Belle  said,  after  a  few  moments'  thought. 

"Chapels  do  not  reach  the  masses.  Now,  at 
the  'Mission,'  which  is  a  sort  of  chapel,  we 
do  not  have  the  congregations  that  such  a  neigh- 
borhood should  turn  out,"  replied  Mrs.  Thomas. 

"True,  there  are  thousands  about  there,  and 
yet  a  preaching  service  attracts  but  a  few  score, 
and  many  of  these"  are  our  own  girls  from  the 
factory,  who  come  to  see  you." 

"  I  have  thought,  sometimes,  that  street-preach- 
ing might  be  what  we  need  down  there,  but 
there  isn't  a  convenient  place  near  the  'Wedge,"1 
continued  Kate. 

From  her  desk  Miss  Pitcairn  drew  out  a  small 
blue-print  map,  on  which  were  discernible  the 
names,  Van  Alstyne,  Bruges,  and  Midnight 
Streets. 

"  Some   time   since,"   she   said,    "  I    had    a    civil 


"STANDING   ROOM  ONLY."  183 


engineer  make  me  a  plan  of  the  '  Wedge/  that 
I  might  know  just  what  property  surrounded  my 
own.  Here  it  is:  You  see  the  'Wedge'  proper 
is  enclosed  by  three  streets,  and  has  the  fol- 
lowing buildings  on  it :  On  Midnight  Street  are 
the  Betteredge  House,  where  Conlon's  saloon  was, 
a  brick  tenement  house,  and  a  second  tenement 
house,  with  a  '  beer  garden '  in  its  ground  floor. 
On  Bruges  Street  is  Dittenhoffcr's  brewery,  and 
on  Van  Alstyne  Street  is  a  German  and  Irish 
boarding  house.  At  the  junction  of  these  last 
two  streets  is  the  old  warehouse,  the  apex  of 
the  '  Wedge/  which  I  intend  to  turn  into  a 
model  lodging  house  for  our  girls  at  the  factory, 
when  I  can  get  time  to  do  it.  Doubtless  you 
recognize  all  of  these  places  ? " 

"  Indeed,  I  do ;  but  what  is  that  spot  on  the 
map  between  the  boarding  house  and  the  ware- 
house, marked  '  Tramps'  Retreat '  ?  "  replied 
Kate. 

"That  is  an  open  lot  that  is  a  part  of  the 
warehouse  property.  I  believe  it  is  now  used  as 
a  storage  yard  for  old  iron.  My  civil  engineer 
was  inclined  to  be  facetious,  and  named  that  as 
you  see  because  the  old  boilers,  of  which  the 
yard  is  full,  afford  a  refuge  for  the  tramps  and 
others  too  poor  to  seek  better  lodgings." 

"If   only   that    was    empty    and   open,   it   would 


1 84  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


be  a  grand,  good  place  for  Gospel  meetings," 
said  Kate,  with  a  sigh,  as  she  rose  to  go. 

Her  answer  set  the  owner  of  this  queer  prop- 
erty to  thinking,  and  as  a  result  of  her  cogita- 
tions, the  next  day  saw  the  fashionable  Miss 
Pitcairn  clown  at  the  "Wedge,"  knocking  at  the 
office  of  the  junk-man  to  whom  the  yard  was 
let.  To  his  great  wonder,  she  wished  to  look 
into  the  enclosure,  and  required  his  aid  as  a 
guide.  What  he  thought  might  be  her  object 
in  stepping  daintily  over  the  loose  scrap,  peeping 
into  the  huge  boilers,  in  some  of  which  still 
slumbered  lazy  vagabonds,  or  in  asking  him  to  pace 
its  length  and  breadth,  he  did  not  divulge,  but 
did  all  in  a  half-amazed  way,  that  bespoke  an 
utter  surprise,  if  nothing  more.  His  wonder 
changed  to  wrath  when,  two  weeks  later,  the 
ubiquitous  Mr.  Crittenden  warned  him  to  seek 
other  storage  room,  as  the  yard  was  to  be  used 
for  another  purpose. 

It  took  a  long  time  for  the  heavy  drays  to 
clear  the  ground,  and  when  all  was  out  it  was 
indeed  a  desolate  place.  A  little  filling-in,  how- 
ever, with  considerable  rolling  of  the  hard  gravel 
covering,  made  it  appear  much  better,  and  gave 
ample  space  for  a  large  gathering. 

As  soon  as  the  ground  was  ready,  it  was 
utilized ;  indeed,  work  was  not  quite  finished 


" STANDING  ROOM  ONLY."  185 

when  the  Sabbath  came  round,  and  with  it  the 
first  service,  conducted  by  Mi.  Thomas,  the 
worthy  husband  of  the  faithful  "  Superintendent 
of  Repairs." 

He  had  brought  out  a  diminutive  desk,  and 
with  his  wife  at  the  cabinet  organ,  began  to 
sing,  in  a  clear,  sweet  tenor,  "  There  Were 
Ninety  and  Nine."  At  the  same  instant  the 
great  double  gates  were  flung  wide  open,  and  a 
placard,  announcing  a  "FREE  GOSPEL  MEETING," 
was  hung  out. 

Before  the  song  began  there  had  been  a  clamor 
of  voices  from  the  streets  and  from  the  crowded 
tenements,  but  on  the  instant  it  was  hushed, 
and  people  began  to  converge  toward  the  place. 
From  all  directions  they  came,  singly  and  in 
twos  and  threes  ;  some  laughing  and  joking,  oth- 
ers serious;  most  of  the  men  smoking,  and 
some  of  the  women  with  babes  in  their  arms. 

When  the  song  was  ended,  a  rough  voice 
from  the  crowd  called  out,  — 

"  Hy,    mon,    that   was   gude !     Gie   us   another." 

So  another  was  sung,  and  then  another,  and 
people  kept  crowding  .in,  till  from  the  brewery 
to  the  fence,  and  from  the  tenement  house  to 
the  storage  house,  there  was  a  solid  mass  of 
men,  women,  and  children.  As  Mr.  Thomas 
looked  over  the  strange  congregation  he  could 


1 86  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

not  but  reflect  on  the  great  responsibility  that 
had  been  so  suddenly  thrust  upon  him.  Here 
was  the  field.  O,  how  white  to  harvest,  and 
the  laborers  so  few! 

From  the  song  the  ready  missionary  started 
off  into  a  chatty,  everyday  talk,  that  at  first 
claimed  their  attention  from  its  novelty  and  bright- 
ness, and  then  appealed  to  their  judgment  as  a 
fair  and  honest  arraignment  of  wrong-doing  and 
oppression,  and  finally,  by  its  growing  eloquence 
and  power,  held  them  in  spite  of  themselves. 
A  natural  orator,  the  speaker  knew  the  pulse  of 
his  audience,  and  if  they  began  to  be  weary 
he  interwove  a  telling  anecdote,  or  a  song,  and 
ere  they  were  aware,  an  hour  had  passed,  and 
the  service  was  ended. 

As  the  preacher  closed  his  book  and  pro- 
nounced the  benediction,  an  old  Briton,  waving 
his  hat  in  the  air,  attempted  to  call  for  three 
cheers,  but  was  anticipated  by  Mr.  Thomas,  who 
requested  the  audience  to  come  forward  and 
shake  hands,  if  they  approved  of  the  service. 

At  this  invitation  most  of  the  crowd  looked 
foolish,  and  edged  off,  and  finally,  sure  that 
there  was  to  be  no  more  speaking  or  singing, 
departed,  but  many  staid  and  clasped  the  mis- 
sionary's hand. 

"  It 's   wot   we    need,    right   here,"    said   a   man, 


u STANDING  ROOM  ONLY."  l8/ 


earnestly.  "  We  can't  go  to  meetin',  'cause  we 
look  so  rough,  but  here,  who  looks  at  yer  ? 
They  ain't  a  purson  in  all  these  yer  tenniments, 
but  what  had  jist  as  lief  come  out  here  as  not." 

"Very  well,  come  next  Sunday,  at  the  same 
hour,"  replied  Mr.  Thomas,  "and  invite  your 
friends." 

"  We  '11  do  it,  an'  never  fear.  We  do  n't  care 
what  yer  preaches,  as  long  as  yer  believe  it.  I 
go  in  strong  on  singing,  I  do,  and  that 's  wot 
fetched  me  here,  but  I  'm  comin'  right  straight 
along  now,  so  you  kin  jist  leave  a  space  fur  me 
an'  my  woman,  right  in  front  of  the  pulpit," 
affirmed  a  dilapidated-looking  man  with  emphasis. 

Among  the  more  timid  who  had  remained  at 
the  invitation  were  three,  who  were  willing  to 
discuss  the  subject  of  their  own  salvation,  and 
who  gladly  accompanied  the  missionary  round  to 
the  Faith  Mission  and,  kneeling  in  prayer,  im- 
plored forgiveness  for  sin. 

The  interest  shown  in  the  new  movement  was 
so  great  that  Belle  'decided  to  assume  all  risks, 
and  keep  the  "  Common "  open,  and  to  give  it 
at  least  a  year's  trial. 

But  in  a  neighborhood  where  wickedness  had 
so  strong  a  hold,  it  was  not  to  be  expected  that 
there  would  be  no  opposition  to  the  preaching 
of  the  Gospel,  and  the  first  attempt  at  a  stam- 


1 88  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


pede  occurred  in  the  midst  of  the  service  on 
the  following  Sabbath,  when  some  one  in  the 
crowd  cried  "  Mad-dog ! "  and  began  chasing  a 
poor  little  cur,  and  shouting  till  all  became  so 
frightened  that  a  rush  was  made  for  the  gates, 
and  the  preacher  left  almost  alone. 

After  it  was  all  over,  and  the  dog  was  found 
not  to  be  mad,  and  the  congregation,  such  ot 
them  as  had  returned,  was  thoroughly  reassured, 
the  singing  and  the  sermon  went  on,  but  with 
the  effect  greatly  marred. 

Mr.  Thomas  suspected  that  this  was  only  a 
hoax,  with  the  idea  of  troubling  him,  and  so  it 
turned  out.  That  he  was  not  alone  in  this  idea, 
was  proved  by  what  was  said  by  McFadden,  the 
genial  proprietor  of  the  "  Cosmopolitan  Hotel." 
He  had  been  a  most  attentive  listener,  and  had, 
in  a  sort  of  patronizing  way,  looked  over  the  as- 
semblage to  see  who  were  there,  and  what  effect 
the  words  of  the  preacher  had  on  the  hearers. 
His  words  on  the  subject  were,  — 

"  That  mad-doorg  scare  was  joost  a  trick  o' 
the  Deil,  pit  in  motion  by  his  representateeve, 
—  'Big  Tom'  Betteredge." 

"  But  I  thought  he  had  long  ago  fled  to  parts 
unknown,"  said  the  missionary. 

"  Na,  he  did  na'  gang  verra  far.  Ootside  of 
New  York  he  would  be  forlorn  enough.  He  is 


"STANDING  ROOM  ONLY."  189 

aroond,  ye  need  hae  na  dout,  an'  he  '11  show 
himsel  again  before  election,  ye  mark  my  word," 
was  the  sturdy  reply. 

At  the  next  service  the  gate  man  had  orders 
to  keep  all  dogs  out,  and  at  once  to  report  acts 
of  rowdyism  to  a  little  man  in  plain  clothes, 
who  quietly  stood  near  the  speaker's  stand. 
When  the  singing  commenced  people  began  to 
gather  as  usual,  but  almost  all,  after  a  look  into 
the  yard,  turned  about  and  hurried  away,  as  if 
for  dear  life.  The  missionary  and  his  assistants 
saw  that  something  was  wrong,  and  looked  anx- 
iously about  to  discern  the  cause.  It  was  not 
at  first  apparent,  for  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
quiet  men  and  women  listening  to  the  singing, 
the  yard  was  mostly  empty.  At  this  juncture, 
Professor  Buckingham  appeared  at  the  gate,  and 
looked  in,  just  as  had  the  rest  of  the  crowd  be- 
fore him,  only,  instead  of  retreating,  he  strode 
up  to  a  man  who  stood  looking  that  way,  and 
said,  — 

•'  Come   with   me." 

The  man  gazed  stupidly  into  the  stern  eyes 
for  a  moment,  and  then,  without  a  word,  sham- 
bled out  of  the  enclosure  and  up  the  street 
after  the  gentleman.  Leading  him  round  to 
Bruges  Street  he  called  a  police  ambulance,  and 
had  him  taken  away ;  then,  after  stepping  into  a 


HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


drug-store  for  fumigating  salts,  he  returned  to 
the  meeting.  Now  that  the  incubus  had  been 
removed  the  people  flocked  in,  and  were  nearly 
as  many  in  numbers  as  on  the  previous  Sabbath. 

"What  was  the  trouble?"  inquired  Mr.  Thomas, 
when  he  had  opportunity  to  speak  to  the  Pro- 
fessor alone. 

"A  trick  of  the  enemy,"  was  the  reply.  "As 
I  was  coming  down  this  way  I  saw  a  man  at 
the  corner  of  Bruges  Street,  who  warned  me  that 
a  person  badly  broken  out  with  small-pox  was 
standing  just  at  the  entrance  of  the  Common, 
and  that  I  had  best  go  by  on  the  other  side. 
In  the  same  way  he  told  every  body  else,  an<: 
most  people  came  as  far  as  the  gate,  and  see- 
ing the  sick  man  were  frightened  away." 

"  Had  he  really  that  disease  ?  "   asked  the  other. 

"  Yes,  and  was  -so  stupid  that  I  doubt  if  he 
knew  where  he  was.  Probably  he  was  left  there 
to  get  the  place  in  bad  odor  among  the  people 
of  the  'Wedge.'" 

"  Eh,  Meester  Tummas,"  said  McFadden,  did 
I  nae'  tal  ye  that  Big  Tom  was  at  the  bottom 
o'  this  ?  It  's  the  veera  trick  he  played  on  oold 
Simpkins,  wha  rin  a  rival  bar  next  door  to  him. 
It  's  a  -  Eh  !  sirs,  but  how's  the  Professor  ? 
O'Toole,  come  and  get  a  grup  o'  an  honest 
mon's  hand." 


"STANDING  ROOM  ONLV."  191 

The  little  Irishman  did  as  he  was  bid,  with 
alacrity,  while  the  gentleman  said,  — 

"  I  'm  glad  that  you  are  both  interested  in 
these  meetings,  and  shall  count  upon  you  '  to 
help  my  friend,  Mr.  Thomas,  to  the  best  of 
your  ability." 

"  Sure  you  ain't  the  only  frind  he  has,  Prif- 
fesser,  dear,"  replied  O'Toole.  "Me  and  McFad- 
den  has  been  wid  him  from  the  starrt,  and 
sure  we  will  kape  ahl  blackguards  from  him,  if 
we  have  ter  make  detectives  av  ourselves." 

"  I  'm  glad  to  hear  you  say  that,  for  I  fear 
that  there  are  those  who  intend  to  break  up 
these  meetings  if  possible.  McFadden,  you  know 
the  men  in  this  neighborhood,  and  I  want  you 
to  give  it  out  that  these  meetings  are  to  be 
kept  up  right  along,  and  that  you,  as  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  Cosmopolitan  Hotel,  approve  of 
them.  If  you  wish  to  add  the  weight  of  any 
official  position  that  you  may  hold  to  such  a 
statement,  why  I  should  be  more  than  obliged." 

McFadden  looked  uneasy  at  the  words  "official 
position,"  while  the  Irishman  pulled  the  Pro- 
fessor's coat,  and  whispered  imploringly,  — 

"Aisy,  Priffesser,  dear,  sure  ye  niver  can  tell 
who  may  be  listening." 

With  this  shot  at  McFadden's  socialistic  power, 
which  had  been  admitted  in  a  previous  inter- 


HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


view,  the  Professor  had  gone  away,  and  the  few 
who  lingered  after  the  meeting  slowly  dispersed, 
most  of  them  wondering  what  would  be  the 
next  move  of  the  combating  faction. 

In  spite  of  the  opposition  that  had  at  once 
manifested  itself  to  this  out-of-door  preaching, 
there  were  a  number  of  conversions  at  each  meet 
ing.  The  seekers  after  salvation  were  amon^ 
the  best,  and  also  among  the  worst,  of  those 
living  in  that  vicinity,  —  and  all  needed  the 
most  careful  watching,  lest  the  home  influences 
choke  the  Word  so  gladly  received.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Thomas  were  doing  what  was  in  their 
power,  but  could  not  attend  to  all  that  was 
demanded  of  them.  They  needed  assistants, — 
whole-souled,  hard-working  young  men  and  women, 
in  whom  they  could  place  implicit  confidence, 
and  who  would  be  in  harmony  with  their  plans. 
He  dreaded  to  send  outside  for  some  one  whom 
he  did  not  know,  for  the  chances  were  that  he 
would  not  have  the  same  ideas  about  managing 
affairs.  Finally  he  took  his  wife's  advice,  and 
stepping  out  of  the  beaten  track,  chose  four 
young  men  from  the  neighborhood  as  "helpers." 

These  young  men  had  all  of  them  professed 
to  be  the  Lord's,  and  were  living  consistent 
Christian  lives.  One  was  a  grocer's  clerk,  another 
a  teamster,  a  third  a  horse-car  driver,  and  the 


"STANDING  ROOM  ONLY." 


last  a  stevedore.  In  calling  them  to  his  help 
he  laid  out  certain  lines  of  work  for  each,  and 
required  regular  reports  of  what  was  done.  For 
example :  the  grocer's  clerk  and  the  car  driver 
had  rare  tact  in  leading  evening  meetings,  — 
could  start  almost  any  common  tune,  and  were 
full  of  the  love  of  Christ.  To  them  fell  most 
of  the  extra  work  in  this  line,  which  allowed 
Mr.  Thomas  to  be  absent  many  times  among 
the  sick  or  needy,  or  to  be  in  the  audience 
speaking  a  quiet  word  to  some  inquiring  soul. 
The  teamster  and  stevedore  were  hearty,  jolly 
men,  who  were  well  suited  to  make  calls  in  the 
roughest  portions  of  the  settlement,  and  by  their 
every-day  geniality  and  shrewd  common-sense,  as 
well  as  by  their  size,  to  command  respect. 

After  a  time  almost  all  of  the  evening  call- 
ing fell  upon  them,  and  although  weary  with 
the  day's  work,  they  seemed  to  find  rest  and 
happiness  in  spending  holidays  and  Sundays  in 
labor  for  souls.  And  the  way  that  these  men 
grew  in  grace  was  wonderful.  It  seemed  as  if 
they  came  in  from  the  fray  full  of  zeal  and 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  with  testimonies  and  exhorta- 
tions that  melted  the  whole  audience  to  tears, 
or  rilled  them  with  holy  exultation  that  the 
armies  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts  were  marching  to 
such  victories. 


194  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


From  the  Mission  gatherings,  it  was  found 
advisable  to  let  these  workers  into  the  larger 
meetings  on  the  Common,  and  erelong  there  was 
one  continuous  afternoon  service  there.  Wonder- 
fully did  these  four  men  work  together  under 
their  wise  leader,  and  when  the  next  ruse  of 
the  enemy  was  tried,  it  had  little  effect. 

It  happened  on  this  wise.  Thus  far  at  all 
of  the  out-of-door  meetings  there  had  been  a 
rough,  though  not  a  riotous  element.  Men  had 
come  there  under  the  influence  of  liquor,  and 
had  interrupted  the  speakers,  but  were  at  once 
hushed  by  the  by-standers.  On  one  Sunday, 
however,  when  Mr.  Thomas  stepped  behind  the 
desk,  he  found  gathered  in  front  of  him  a  com- 
pany of  men  quite  different  from  those  usually 
there,  —  a  gathering  of  roughs  from  far  and  near. 
Well  acquainted  with  the  city,  he  saw  at  least 
fifty  of  the  hardest  characters,  as  far  as  rioting 
and  hard-drinking  went,  that  the  whole  East 
Side  could  furnish.  They  were  not  pick-pockets, 
thieves,  or  murderers,  but  were  of  that  class  semi- 
respectable,  oftentimes,  that  in  large  cities  is  so 
frequently  controlled  by  the  rum-power.  That  the 
saloon-keeper  was  behind  this  could  not  be  doubted, 
and  from  the  murmur  of  many  voices,  came  once 
or  twice  the  name  of  "  Big  Tom,"  in  a  manner 
that  showed  him  to  have  a  hand  in  its  planning. 


u  STAND  ING  ROOM  ONLY."  1 95 

When  the  regular  audience  had  found  what 
sort  of  men  occupied  the  places  just  in  front 
of  the  speaker's  stand,  most  of  them  withdrew, 
and  indeed  this  action  on  their  part  seemed  to 
be  facilitated  by  the  gate  man,  who  whispered 
something  to  many  of  them  that  caused  them 
to  nod  their  heads  wisely  and  withdraw.  When 
most  were  out,  the  gates  were  suddenly  closed, 
and  from  the  side  entrance  of  the  Storage 
House  came  a  file  of  policemen,  who  marched 
solidly  down  to  the  rear  of  the  ground,  and 
took  their  position  between  the  rowdies  and  the 
gate.  The  meeting  then  began.  There  were  the 
usual  singing  and  prayer,  while  not  a  motion 
was  made  to  disturb  or  interrupt.  At  the  close 
of  the  invocation,  Mr.  Thomas  said, — 

"Boys,  I  am  told  that  you  have*  been  hired 
to  come  here  and  break  up  this  meeting, — and 
my  friends,  to  see  that  it  is  not  done,  have 
sent  down  these  blue-coats.  Of  course,  if  you 
were  to  raise  a  disturbance,  they  would  be 
forced  to  do  their  duty,  because  it  is  a  serious 
offense  to  disturb  public  worship ;  it  is  something 
that  even  the  police  themselves  do  not  dare 
attempt. 

"  You  have  been  sent  here  by  the  saloon 
men,  who  seem  to  think  that  I,  with  my  preach- 
ing, am  doing  them  harm.  Is  that  it  ? " 


196  HER  OPPORTUNITY, 

There    was   no   answer. 

"To  prove  that  I  have  not  done  harm,  but 
rather  good,  I  am  going  to  send  these  police 
away,  and  call  out  a  few  men  who  know  what 
I  have  done.  Now  if  I  do  this,  will  you  be 
square  and  give  me  a  hearing  ? " 

"  Aye,"  said  a  rough  voice.  "  We  '11  do  that, 
anyhow." 

So  the  police,  at  a  signal,  disappeared  the 
way  they  came,  and  the  gates  were  opened, 
but  no  one  allowed  to  enter.  Then  from  among 
the  wretches  that  had  been  saved  from  the 
curse  of  rum  and  sin,  right  in  that  part  of  the 
city,  came  testimony  after  testimony.  With  rare 
tact  had  this  general  marshalled  his  forces,  and 
he  swept  all  before  him.  Many  of  the  neat 
looking  men  and  modest-appearing  girls  had 
been  known  to  these  roughs  when  they  were 
down  in  the  lowest  depths,  and  their  witnessing 
for  Christ  was  listened  to  with  profound  inter- 
est. At  the  close  of  the  service,  a  hard-looking 
man,  who  appeared  to  be  leader,  said  gruffly,  — 

"  Parson,  I  do  n't  take  a  bit  of  stock  in  yer 
cant,  but  I  believe  yer  helping  thim  as  is  down, 
and  whether  yer  hate  rum  or  love  it,  ain't 
nobody's  business.  You  '11  never  be  bothered  by 
any  of  us  agin." 

Immediately    following    this    service    there   was 


"STANDING  ROOM  ONL^.n 


the  usual  "after-meeting,"  at  the  rooms  of  the 
Faith  Mission,  which  was  fairly  attended,  although 
none  of  the  "roughs"  were  present. 

Of  those  who  seemed  deeply  affected  by  the 
appeals  of  the  earnest  preacher  was  one  who 
at  once  attracted  the  attention  of  kindly  Mrs. 
Thomas.  He  was  a  slight,  weak-eyed,  dissipated- 
looking  youth,  of  twenty  or  thereabouts,  arrayed 
in  a  suit  of  yacht  cloth  that  once  had  been 
especially  natty,  and  now  frayed  and  soiled, 
looked  correspondingly  dilapidated. 

"  Yes  'm,  I  sometimec,  in  fact  always,  wish  to 
be  a  Christian  ;  but  there  's  one  thing  in  my 
life,  one  experience  as  I  might  say,  that  I  can't 
get  over,  and  it  stops  me." 

"  But   what   is    it  ?  "    inquired    Kate,    kindly. 

"I'm    not    sure   as    I   ought    to   tell." 

"Well,  then,  let  it  go.  Turn  your  back  on 
the  past  and  begin  afresh." 

"  It  seems  as  if  I  ought  to  tell  this,  too," 
continued  the  youth,  "for  it  continually  stumbles 
me,  and  perhaps  if  I  had  it  explained  by  some 
one  who,  as  you  might  say,  had  more  experi- 
ence as  me,  it  might  be  all  right." 

"My  lad,  there  are  hosts  of  things  to  stumble 
every  one  that  tries  to  serve  the  Master.  If 
you  can't  forget  this  in  remembering  the  great 
love  that  Christ  bears  you,  why,  you  had  better 


J98  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

tell  it.  Here  is  a  lady  who  is  a  true  Christian, 
and  who  is  able  to  explain  any  difficulties  you 
may  have.  Miss  Pitcairn,  this  young  man  wishes 
to  lead  a  better  life,  but  has  something  troub- 
ling his  mind ;  will  you  speak  with  him  ? " 

Belle,  eager  to  be  of  service,  at  once  sat 
down  by  the  side  of  the  penitent,  and  asked 
him  his  difficulty.  In  reply,  he  said, — 

"  Pr'aps  I  'd  better,  as  you  might  say,  tell  my 
story." 

"Very   well." 

"  I  was,  as  you  might  say,  a  Christian,  until 
I  went  to  work  for  a  man  whom  everybody 
respects,  and  whom  I,  as  you  might  say,  just 
worshiped.  He  was  a  perfessional  man,  and  a 
outward  Christian,  and  I  took  him  as  my  pat- 
tern." The  speaker  stopped,  and  sighed  deeply, 
and  looked  at  the  fair  listener  with  a  counte- 
nance full  of  woe. 

"  Yes,"   said   she,    encouragingly. 

"  Well,  things  went  on,  and  little  by  little  I 
found  that  I  was,  as  you  might  say,  deceived. 
My  master  had.  terrible  temper  fits,  and  used  to 
hit  me  with  any  thing  that  came  handy.  As 
his  valet,  of  course  I  was  continually  with  him, 
and  I  suffered  his  abuse  more  and  more.  At 
last  one  day,  after  thinking  the  matter  over,  and, 
as  you  might  say,  praying  over  it,  I  determined 


"STANDING  ROOM  ONLY"  199 

to  speak  with  him  about  it,  both  of  us  bein' 
Christians,  you  know,  —  so  says  I,  'Professor  Buck- 
ingham ' " 

"  Excuse  me,"  said  Miss  Pitcairn,  a  trifle  hur- 
riedly. "  Mr.  Thomas  is  waiting  to  speak  with 
you.  I  shall  be  pleased  to  hear  of  your  welfare, 
and  trust  that  you  will  not  allow  the  inconsist- 
encies of  any  other  person  to  cheat  you  out  of 
your  heritage,  which  is  a  full  pardon  of  your 
own  sin." 

With  that  she  hurried  off,  and  the  penitent 
watched  her,  with  a  self-satisfied  smirk,  that  the 
good  missionary  observed  and  pondered  over, 
even  while  praying  with  him,  and  receiving 
broken  assurances  of  "  a  happiness  such  as  he 
had  never,  as  you  might  say,  experienced  be- 
fore." 


2OO  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


XIII. 

\i/ci]?cr) 


ci]?cr0usc. 


S  Miss  Pitcairn  at  home?"  inquired  a  spruce- 
appearing  young  man,  who  was  standing  in 
the  vestibule  of  the  Governor's  mansion. 

"  I  will  ascertain,  sir,"  was  the  reply,  as  the 
dignified  man-servant  stalked  away,  bearing  on  a 
silver  salver  a  card  that  announced  the  caller  as 
James  Jones,  architect. 

"The  lady  will  be  down  directly.  Please  be 
seated,  sir.  She  wished  me  to  say  that  she  was 
detained  at  her  office  in  Harlem,  else  she  would 
be  ready  to  see  you  at  this  moment,  sir,"  was 
the  report  with  which  the  august  messenger  re- 
turned. 

The  architect  seated  himself,  and  drawing  out 
a  voluminous  pocket-book,  took  therefrom  several 
plans  on  tracing-paper,  and  spread  them  out  upon 
the  elegant  sofa.  He  then  utilized  dainty  books 
and  costly  bric-a-brac  for  paper-weights,  and  by 
the  time  the  young  lady  appeared  on  the  scene, 
was  so  deep  in  a  maze  of  lines  and  figures, 


THE  OLD    WAREHOUSE.  2OI 

that  at  first  it  was  difficult  to  waken  him  from 
nis  stud}'. 

*:Are  these  the  drawings  for  the  alterations 
in  the  storehouse  ? "  inquired  the  lady  for  the 
second  time,  with  an  amused  smile  on  her  face. 

"  I  beg  pardon  ;  yes,  here  are  the  various 
floors,  and  if  you  will  permit  it  I  should  like 
to  make  a  brief  report  on  the  condition  of  the 
property,  that  will  have  a  material  bearing  upon 
your  plans,"  said  the  young  man,  suddenly  wak- 
ening to  a  realization  of  the  fact  that  he  was 
expected  to  make  reply. 

"Go   on,   please." 

"The  house  as  a  whole  is  very  strongly  built, 
and  its  foundations  are  excellent.  On  the  west- 
ern side  there  is  a  place  that  will  need  rebuild- 
ing, which  can  be  easily  done.  The  apartments 
are  unusually  high-studded,  and  the  walls  as 
they  now  are  would  safely  and  easily  bear  the 
weight  of  two  additional  stories,  and  that,  too, 
after  the  extra  windows  have  been  made,"  said 
the  architect,  in  a  brisk,  business-like  tone. 

"Thank  you.  Now  please  give  me  an  idea  of 
these  plans,"  said  Miss  Pitcairn. 

Obedient  to  this  request,  the  other,  beginning 
with  the  ground  floor,  explained  plan  after  plan, 
until  the  two  in  imagination  had  climbed  to 
the  top  of  the  old  warehouse,  and  even  two 


2O2  HER   CPPORTUNITY. 


stories  higher.  When  the  Governor's  daughter 
did  not  understand  any  term  used,  or  any  of 
the  pencilled  markings,  she  asked  for  detailed 
explanation ;  nor  did  she  leave  the  subject  until 
it  was  perfectly  clear.  The  result  of  this  thor- 
oughness was  that  when  the  young  architect 
took  his  departure,  she  knew  the  meaning  of 
every  line  on  his  charts,  and  felt  competent 
either  to  approve  or  to  criticise. 

The  general  plans  secured,  she  called  a  com- 
mittee meeting  of  four,  consisting  of  the  Gov- 
ernor, Mrs.  Pitcairn,  Miss  Murdock,  and  herself. 
This  was  subsequently  enlarged  by  the  addition 
of  Professor  Buckingham,  by  invitation  of  Gov- 
ernor Pitcairn,  and  Wednesday  of  the  week  fol- 
lowing set  as  visitors'  day. 

Until  then  she  spent  what  time  she  could 
spare  from  the  Harlem  mill  in  viewing  various 
Young  Ladies'  Homes,  Working  Girls'  Asylums, 
and  other  similar  institutions,  and  taking  especial 
pains  to  learn  all  she  could  about  the  disposal 
of  rooms,  the  arrangement  of  stairways,  the 
lighting,  heating,  and  various  other  economic 
features  that  would  come  up  in  the  plan  that 
she  had  under  consideration. 

So  interested  had  she  become  that  she  tound 
it  exceedingly  tedious  waiting  for  her  guests  to 
appear  and  join  her  in  examining  her  new  prop- 


THE    OLD    WAREHOUSE.  2O3 

erty,   and   in   a   sudden    spasm   of    impatience    set 
off  alone   to   visit   it. 

The  beholding  of  a  place  on  paper  is  alto- 
gether different  from  seeing  it  as  it  is  in  real 
life,  and  it  was  as  much  as  any  thing  a  desire 
to  familiarize  herself  with  the  place  before  dis 
cussing  it,  that  led  the  lady  to  set  about  this 
dubious  undertaking.  Arriving  at  the  warehouse, 
she  found  the  old  watchman  standing  on  the  steps. 

"Good  afternoon,  sir.  Your  name  must  be 
Jefferson,"  she  said  pleasantly. 

"That  is  my  name,  Miss,"  he  replied,  with  a 
surprised  expression. 

"My  father  told  me  of  you,"  she  continued. 
"  I  am  the  granddaughter  of  the  late  Mr.  Van 
Alstyne." 

"  O,  yes,  Miss ;  glad  to  see  you,"  said  the 
old  man,  cap  in  hand,  and  a  look  of  awe  on 
his  face.  "You  must  be  Governor  Pitcairn's 
daughter.  Glad  to  see  you,  Miss." 

"  Is  the  warehouse  full  of  goods  ? "  inquired 
Belle. 

"  No,  Madam ;  two  of  the  floors  is,  but  one 
is  empty.  Mebbe  you  would  like  to  step  in 
and  see  the  place  that  your  grandfather  built  ? " 

"Yes,  indeed.  It  was  only  the  other  day  that 
I  learned  its  history,  and  since  then  it  has 
greatly  interested  me,"  replied  the  lady. 


2O4  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 


With  no  little  ceremon),  the  old  watchman 
unlocked  the  heavy  front  door,  and  ushered  his 
charge  into  the  building.  A  quietness  that  was 
almost  oppressive  fell  upon  her  like  a  mantle, 
the  instant  the  thick  walls  shut  away  the  noise 
of  the  street.  There  was  about  the  structure 
an  air  of  ancient  solidity  that  would  have  been 
reassuring,  had  it  not  been  mixed  with  the 
traditions  of  a  ghostly  past,  and  Belle  hurried 
as  she  walked  down  the  long  apartment  that 
made  up  the  main  room,  passing  between  huge 
bales  of  merchandise  that  reached  from  floor  to 
ceiling,  and  that  remained  undisturbed  for  a  year 
at  a  time. 

"  There  is  n't  much  to  be  seen,  Miss,  but 
great  rooms  filled  with  goods  that  are  done  up 
so  securely  that  one  can't  even  guess  at  the 
contents.  In  your  grandfather's  day  this  was  a 
busy  house.  The  teams  were  going  and  coming 
all  day  long,  loading  and  unloading,  and  a  big 
gang  of  lumpers  and  loaders  were  employed, 
but  now  the  people  who  hire  this  house  do  n't 
send  a  team  here  once  a  week." 

Jefferson  spoke  in  a  tone  that  told  of  loneli 
ness  and  disgust,  and  Belle  listened  indifferently, 
for  she  was,  with  all  diligence,  studying  the 
general  structure  of  the  building.  From  the 
ground  floor  they  ascended  to  the  attic,  and  a,s 


THE  OLD    WAREHOUSE.  20$ 


it  was  empty,  had  an  excellent  chance  to  realize 
what  an  Immense  floor-space  it  contained.  In- 
deed, I/*  see  it  distinctly,  the  old  man  was 
obliged  to  throw  open  the  iron-bound  shutters 
an^l  ht  in  the  light  of  day,  as  the  lantern  that 
he  carried  was  insufficient  to  illumine  so  large , 
PD  apartment. 

On  their  return  to  the  lower  regions,  thawed 
oy  her  kindness,  Jefferson  led  the  way  to  a 
small  room  walled  in  by  ponderous  packages, 
ind  pushing  open  the  door,  said,  — 

"  This  is  the  old  office  of  Van  Alstyne  &  Co., 
and  many  a  time  have  I  seen  your  grandfather 
sitting  in  that  leather-covered  chair,  writing  letters 
to  some  foreign  port  that  had  such  a  long  name 
that  the  envelope  hardly  had  room  to  hold  it." 

Belle  looked  about  the  room  with  gratified  in- 
terest. It  was  old-fashionedly  elegant,  was  fin- 
ished in  oak,  had  a  massive  desk,  in  which 
were  still  a  few  pigeon-holed  papers,  and  bore 
all  the  marks  of  an  elegant  antique,  while  on 
the  wall  hung  the  portrait  of  the  ship-owner's 
father,  —  a  fine,  sturdy  gentleman,  of  unmistak- 
able Knickerbocker  stock.  The  place  looked  as 
if  it  were  simply  left  one  night,  and  expected 
its  owner  in  the  morning,  as  of  yore,  to  draw 
up  at  the  desk,  open  the  morning  mail,  and 
say,  "Now  to  business!" 


206  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


One  thing  in  particular  attracted  the  visitor : 
in%  the  front  of  the  desk,  en  a  level  with  the 
eyes  of  one  sitting  before  it,  was  a  stnall  mir- 
ror, such  as  organists  have  to  view  a  choir,  only 
this  was  cut  into  the  polished  wood  in  such  a 
way  as  at  first  not  to  be  noticeable  ;  below  this 
mirror  lay  a  dainty  ivory  paper-cutter,  of  ex- 
quisite design.  Belle  took  it  up  and  examined 
it  closely. 

"  I  suppose  you  may  have  that,  if  you  wish, 
Miss,"  said  Jefferson  ;  but  the.  young  lady  con- 
cluded not  to  take  it  from  the  place  it  fitted 
so  well. 

The  old  man  accompanied  her  to  the  door 
and  was  about  to  say  good-by,  when  a  sudden, 
crash  on  the  floor  above  startled  him,  and  caused 
him  to  hurry  off  in  the  direction  of  the  sound. 
Half  way  up  the  stairs  he  bethought  himself 
that  this  was  not  very  polite,  and  turning  about, 
saw  Belle  already  on  the  sidewalk ;  so  he  went 
on.  Discovering  that  the  noise  was  occasioned 
by  the  fall  of  an  empty  packing-case,  he  de- 
scended the  stairs  and  left  the  building,  locking 
the  door  after  him.  A  moment  later  came  a 
knocking  with  a  dainty  parasol  handle  from  the 
inside,  and  the  sound  of  a  voice  calling  to  him 
for  release.  The  appeal,  however,  was  vain, 
for  the  old  man  heard  nothing,  but  moved  stol- 


THE   OLD    WAREHOUSE,  20? 

idly  away,  supposing  that  the  Governor's  daugh- 
ter was  well  on  her  way  home. 

The  manner  in  which  Belle  had  been  so  sud- 
denly incarcerated  was  very  simple.  When  she 
had  reached  the  sidewalk,  a  sudden  impulse  to 
possess  the  ivory  paper-cutter,  as  a  souvenir  of 
the  visit,  came  over  her,  and  she  retraced  her 
steps  to  the  little  office.  Once  there,  she  knew 
where  the  lamp,  that  the  watchman  sometimes 
used,  hung,  and  also  where  matches  were  kept, 
as  both  had  been  pointed  out  by  Jefferson. 
She,  therefore,  struck  a  match,  and  securing  the 
article  was  about  to  leave,  when  a  yellow  note 
on  the  floor  attracted  her  attention. 

She  found  it  to  be  an  ancient,  high-flown  love- 
letter  from  her  Grandfather  Van  Alstyne  to 
Miss  Mary  Smythneld,  which  was  her  grand- 
mother's maiden  name.  With  deep  interest  and 
amusement  she  was  deciphering  the  singular  hand, 
when  Jefferson  came  quietly  down,  and  going 
out,  shut  and  locked  the  door  before  she  could 
make  herself  heard. 

Of  considerable  native  courage,  Belle  hurried  at 
once  to  the  door  and  rapped,  then  to  the  win- 
dow and  attempted  to  open  the  shutters,  which 
on  this  floor  were  of  iron,  but  in  this  was  dis- 
appointed. Neither  window  nor  shutter  could 
she  stir,  and  finally  out  of  breath  and  beginning 


208  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


to  be  a  little  frightened,  she  sat  down  to  rest 
and  think. 

Thus  far  the  situation  had  seemed  more  ridic- 
ulous than  dangerous,  but  it  flashed  across  her 
that  Jefferson's  remark,  that  the  teams  only 
came  once  a  week,  might  mean  that  she  must 
be  a  prisoner  for  that  time.  She  well  knew  his 
position  to  be  a  sinecure,  —  that  he  came  in 
when  he  pleased,  and  had  no  one  to  disturb 
him,  except  when  a  van  full  of  goods  was  to 
be  taken  out  or  moved  in.  With  fresh  energy, 
at  this  thought,  she  tried  doors  and  windows, 
knocking  and  calling,  and  at  last,  in  tears,  re- 
treated to  the  little  office  and  sank  into  the  leather- 
covered  chair  to  wait  and  pray  for  deliverance. 

Night  fell,  and  Belle  still  cowered  in  the  chair, 
with  ears  acutely  listening  to  every  sound,  and 
lips  often  forming  a  prayer  for  help.  The  lamp 
burned  brightly,  and  had  enough  oil  in  it  to 
keep  its  light  up  until  morning.  When  the  first 
fright  was  over,  the  brave  girl  had  taken  the 
drawings  that  the  architect  had  given  her,  and 
going  over  them  carefully,  with  a  stern  self-re- 
pression that  was  heroic,  had  become  interested 
in  her  plans.  In  imagination,  she  even  furnished 
the  various  rooms  that  she  had  in  mind,  and 
made  additions  that  might  not  have  occurred  to 
her  at  her  home. 


THE   OLD   WAREHOUSE.  2<X) 

In  the  midst  of  her  planning  and  figuring, 
she  became  aware  of  soft  but  heavy  footsteps 
approaching  the  office,  and  was,  at  first,  about 
to  spring  up  gladly  and  welcome  the  old  watch- 
man, when  a  second  thought  restrained  her,  and 
to  all  appearance  she  went  on  figuring  and 
writing,  while  in  reality  her  eyes  were  fixed 
on  the  tiny  mirror  in  the  front  of  the  desk. 
The  steps  stopped  before  the  office  door,  and 
slowly,  carefully  it  was  swung  open  till  there 
was  room  for  a  fierce,  wild  face  to  thrust  itself 
in  and  stare  long  at  the  elegantly  attired  lady. 
Then  the  head  was  withdrawn,  and  another  no 
less  unkempt  and  evil  took  its  place,  and  with 
savage  surprise  gratified  itself  with  a  similar 
searching  look.  Then  there  was  a  whispered 
consultation,  and  again  both  of  the  intruders 
looked  their  fill,  while  Belle,  praying  for  strength 
not  to  tremble,  added  again  and  again  a  brief 
column  of  figures,  glancing  continually  in  the 
glass. 

At  length  the  two  withdrew  as  softly  as  they 
had  come,  and  when  they  were  fairly  away 
Belle  rose  and,  slipping  over  to  the  door,  found 
that  it  could  be  bolted,  although  to  a  deter- 
mined man  the  fastening  might  offer  no  serious 
hindrance.  Then  she  went  back  to  her  chair 
and  quietly  fainted.  When  she  recovered  her 


210  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


senses,  a  breath  of  fresh  air  was  blowing  on  her 
face,  which  she  found  came  from  the  one  win- 
dow that  proved  to  have  a  broken  pane.  Lean- 
ing forward,  she  was  trying  to  reach  through  it 
and  unfasten  the  shutter,  when,  close  by  her, 
but  on  the  outside  of  the  building,  she  heard  a 
voice  that  made  her  heart  leap  with  joy. 

"  Professor  !  "    she   called.      "  Professor  !  " 

"  Hark !  did  not  some  one  call  me  ? "  said  the 
voice. 

"  No,    it 's   your   imagination,"    said   another. 

"  Professor  Buckingham ! "  came  the  frantic 
appeal. 

"Yes." 

"  It  is  I,  Belle  Pitcairn.  Jefferson  has  locked 
me  into  the  warehouse." 

Now  the  voice  of  Mr.  Buckingham  was  close 
to  the  shutter,  as  he  said, — 

"  All  right,  keep  up  your  courage,  and  we  will 
have  you  out  of  there  in  a  few  moments." 

"  But  do  n't  leave  me,  or  I  shall  go  crazy," 
sobbed  Belle ;  "  there  are  burglars  or  tramps  in 
the  building.  I  saw  two  of  them,  and  they  are 
still  walking  round  above." 

There  was  an  exclamation  of  dismay,  and  then, 
under  the  edge  cf  the  shutter,  came  the  ferrule 
of  a  cane,  which  was  pried  in  until  there  was 
room  for  the  firm  hand.  A  strong  pull,  and  the 


THE   OLD    WAREHOUSE.  211 

shutter  burst  from  its  fastenings,  clanged  back, 
leaving  the  window  free,  and  showing  the  pale, 
tear-stained  face  of  the  Governor's  daughter.  With 
no  more  ceremony  than  he  had  shown  to  the 
shutter,  the  young  man  smashed  the  window  and 
sprang  into  the  room,  then  turned  and  sent  his 
companion  for  Jefferson.  A  moment  later,  at- 
tracted by  the  sound  of  breaking  glass,  an  of- 
ficer arrived  and  was  about  to  arrest  him  for 
breaking  and  entering.  A  dignified  explanation 
of  the  true  state  of  affairs  finally  convinced 
him  that  this  would  be  a  grand  mistake,  and 
instead,  he  "  rapped  for  assistance "  to  secure 
the  two  tramps  who  were  still  on  the  floor 
above. 

At  length  Jefferson  came,  the  door  was  un- 
locked, a  carriage  secured,  and  the  fair  prisoner 
driven  home,  which  she  reached  just  as  an  anx- 
ious search  was  about  to  be  made  for  her. 

In  the  gratitude  that  followed  so  timely  a 
rescue  it  was  natural  that  the  Professor  should 
have  been  seized  upon  by  the  Governor,  and 
made  to  stay  the  rest  of  the  evening,  while  Belle 
narrated  the  whole  of  her  adventure.  The  thanks 
that  the  gentleman  received  from  the  family 
were  full  of  honest  feeling,  and  yet  what  was 
the  embarrassment  that  lurked  in  Belle's  tones 
as  she  spoke  to  the  happy  guest  ?  Was  there 


HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


not  a  tinge  of  disappointment  in  her  cordiality  ? 
The  keen-witted  Professor  imagined  he  felt  some- 
thing of  the  kind  and  then  dismissed  the  thought 
as  unworthy. 

After  he  had  gone  Belle  stood  for  a  moment 
in  the  heavily  draped  window,  looking  out  at  the 
brightly  lighted  avenue,  and  said  with  a  sigh 
to  herself,  "  O,  why  can  not  one  so  grand  in 
appearance  and  so  capable  be  free  from  ignoble 
•temper  fits'?" 


TREASURER  CRITTENDEWS  PROPERTY.      213 


XIV. 

c<Fiffcr)<aer)' 


of  the  prolific  sources  of  evil  in  the 
\|y  vicinity  of  the  "Wedge  "  was  the  great  brew- 
ery that  faced  Bruges  Street,  about  which,  at 
stated  hours  each  day,  could  be  seen  bloated  in- 
dividuals, passing  in  and  out  with  orders  for 
beer  in  the  keg  for  families  that  stood  more  in 
need  of  flour.  In  the  evening,  when  the  great 
wagons  drove  up,  and  the  empty  kegs  were  un- 
loaded by  the  half-drunken  drivers  and  helpers, 
there  were  oaths  that  could  be  heard  several 
blocks  away,  —  bursts  of  hoarse  laughter,  and 
often  a  brawling,  noisy  fight. 

The  nearness  of  this  drunkard  mill  to  the 
Mission  made  it  a  nuisance.  Yet  the  experience 
already  gained  in  the  temperance  work  taughi 
the  management  that  any  attempt  to  oust  the 
rum-faction  in  that  vicinity  would  be  met  by 
the  most  determined  opposition.  The  unscrupu- 
lous methods  of  the  liquor  dealers,  as  evinced 


214  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

by  the  movements  that  "  Big  Tom "  Betteredge 
had  inaugurated,  made  some  of  the  more  timid 
afraid  to  denounce  this  particular  evil  ;  but  the 
knowledge  that  one's  cause  is  just  is  a  great 
incentive,  and  it  was  this  in  part  that  nerved 
Miss  Pitcairn  to  call  at  the  brewery  office,  and 
see  what  manner  of  persons  were  in  charge 
of  it. 

As  she  passed  down  Bruges  Street  to  the 
main  entrance,  she  found  the  sidewalk  choked 
with  kegs  and  barrels,  and  the  street  blocked 
by  great  wagons.  On  the  barrels  sat  loungers, 
who,  for  a  drink  of  beer,  helped  load  the 
drays,  or  rolled  the  empty  casks  into  the  cellars. 
The  atmosphere  of  the  place  was  laden  with 
fumes  of  steaming  malt,  and  the  whole  building 
seemed  beaded  with  a  dank,  unwholesome  perspi- 
ration. 

Climbing  the  stone  steps  that  led  to  the 
office,  with  beating  heart  she  opened  the  door 
into  a  neatly  furnished  room,  where  sat  a  young 
man  busily  engaged  in  writing.  As  the  lady 
entered,  he  looked  somewhat  surprised,  and  ris- 
ing, said  politely,  — 

"Can   I    serve  you   in   any   way,    Miss?" 

"  Are  you  the  proprietor  of  the  brewery  ? " 
she  inquired. 

"No,     Miss,     the     proprietor     is     out     in     the 


TREASURER  CRITTENDEN'S  PROPERTY.       215 

'vat -room,'  I  think.  Please  be  seated,  and  I 
will  call  him." 

Accepting  the  proffered  chair,  she  seated  her- 
self and  waited,  although  what  she  should  say, 
or  what  manner  of  man  the  owner  might  be, 
she  could  not  conjecture. 

Presently  the  clerk  returned,  and  behind  him 
came  a  man,  very  fat,  very  German,  and  very 
beery. 

"  This  is  the  lady,  Mr.  Dittenhoffer,"  said  the 
young  man,  and  the  fat  brewer  bowed  as  much 
as  he  could,  considering  his  shape. 

"  I  am  interested  in  mission  and  temperance 
work  in  this  vicinity,"  began  Belle, 

"  Yah,  and  you  wish  a  leedle  money,  ain't  it  ? 
Shames,  give  dot  lady  dwenty-five  cents,"  inter- 
rupted the  German. 

"  You  are  mistaken.  We  could  not  accept 
your  money,"  said  Belle,  her  eyes  resting  with 
lofty  pity  on  the  brewer.  "But  we  wished  to 
ask  a  favor  of  you." 

"  I  guess  you  vos  meestakened.  It  tooks  all 
my  dime  to  do  favors  for  mineself,"  hastily  re- 
plied the  other. 

"  Would  it  not  be  possible  to  have  your 
teamsters  more  orderly  when  they  return  at 
night  ?  On  Wednesday  nights,  especially,  they 
shout  and  swear  until  they  almost  break  up 


2l6  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

our  meetings.  I  am  sure  you  can  not  wish  us 
to  be  troubled  by  such  language." 

The  brewer  opened  his  little  eyes  as  widely 
as  possible,  in  great  amazement,  saying,  — 

"  Veil,  if  dey  do  n't  like  dot  schwear,  why 
do  n't  dey  clear  oudt  ?  Dere  vos  plendty  places 
vhere  they  do  n't  need  hear  it  already.  Why 
do  n't  dey  have  deir  Mission  in  Brooklyn,  or 
Shersey  City,  or  Hoboken,  and  let  the  peobles 
go  oudt  dere  for  church  ?  Mein  cracious,  we 
can't  stop  peesness  for  brayer  meedtings." 

"  Our  people  get  but  small  pay,  and  must 
save  every  penny,  and  can  not  afford  to  go  out 
of  town,"  was  the  reply. 

"Veil,  den  dey  moost  listen  to  doze  schwear. 
I  can't  stop  the  men  ven  I  schwear  meself 
already." 

"  Can   you    not    hire  sober   drivers  ? " 

"  A  sober  man  drive  a  beer  wagon  ?  Ach,  you 
vas  dalk  like  a  shilds !  Come,  I  vas  in  a  rush. 
Ish  dere  any  thing  else  you  vould  like  to  say." 

"  Yes,   sir,   who   owns   the   place  ? " 

"  Dot  vos  for  you  to  find  oudt,  mine  friendt," 
was  the  reply,  as  the  brewer,  without  other 
farewell,  waddled  off. 

The  young  clerk,  however,  was  not  so  uncom- 
municative, and  informed  her  that  Mr.  Critten- 
den,  treasurer  in  an  up-town  church,  owned  the 


TREASURER  CRITTENDEN'S  PROPERTY.       21? 


building,  —  a  statement  which  brought  a  blush 
of  surprise  and  shame  to  Belle's  fair  cheek. 

"  Possibly  you  know  the  gentleman,"  said  the 
clerk,  who  had  been  keenly  watching  the  lady's 
face. 

"I  regret  to  say,  he  is  treasurer  of  the  church 
of  which  I  am  a  member,  but  I  had  no  idea 
that  he  was  in  any  way  connected  with  the 
liquor  business,"  was  Belle's  reply. 

"  Well,  I  hear  a  great  deal  of  temperance 
talk  at  home,  —  for  my  mother  is  a  dear  old 
lady  of  the  strict  Puritan  stamp;  but  I  must 
say,  it  does  not  sink  very  deep  in  my  heart. 
I  do  n't  see  but  people  from  most  of  the 
churches  do  as  much  directly  or  indirectly  to 
keep  the  brewers  going  as  do  the  harder  por- 
tions of  the  community.  Why,  you  would  be 
surprised  to  know  whom  we  have  for  customers 
here.  These  high-toned  people  are  the  profit- 
able customers,  too,  for  we  can  charge  them  an 
extra  price  for  the  regular  goods,"  was  the 
young  man's  statement,  with  a  look  that  told 
how  he  enjoyed  showing  up  the  failings  of  the 
"church  people." 

"  I  think  we,  who  have  been  better  taught, 
should  feel  that  it  involves  a  terrible  responsi- 
bility, when  we  allow  ourselves  to  become  the 
servants  of  the  liquor-power.  Mr.  Dittenhoffer 


2l8  HER  OPPORTUNITY 

is  not  wholly  to  blame  for  his  ideas,  as  doubt- 
less he  was  educated  to  consider  beer  as  neces- 
sary as  water;  but  with  your  knowledge  of  the 
evils  connected  with  its  use,  it  is  amazing  that 
you  should  choose  such  a  business.  You  quote 
the  wrong  doing  of  Christians  and  well-taught 
people,  and  in  so  doing  are  you  not  condemn- 
ing yourself  ? " 

The  young  man  flushed  at  this  direct  appeal, 
but  it  was  made  in  so  ladylike  a  manner,  and 
with  so  much  of  Christian  charity  in  accent 
and  look,  that  he  could  not  get  angry,  but  re- 
turned her  good  afternoon  politely,  and  turned 
to  his  books  with  a  new  set  of  thoughts  teem- 
ing in  his  brain. 

Shocked  that  the  brewery  should  be  owned 
by  one  whom  she  had  never  admired,  but  had 
supposed  to  be  too  conscientious  to  enjoy  the 
fruits  of  liquor-making,  Belle  went  home  some- 
what undecided  as  to  her  future  course  of  ac- 
tion. Mrs.  Crittenden,  she  was  sure,  was  full 
of  good  works  in  a  certain  way,  and  if  she 
could  bring  her  influence  to  bear  on  her  hus- 
band, it  was  quite  possible  that  the  German  might 
be  ejected,  and  some  tenant  secured  who  would 
not  be  a  continual  damage  to  the  neighborhood. 

With  this  thought  in  her  mind  Belle  called 
upon  Mrs.  Crittenden,  and  was  as  usual  oven 


TREASURER   CRITTENDEN' S  PROPERTY.       2IQ 

whelmed  by  questions  as  to  the  progress  of  the 
work  in  the  East  Side,  and  the  number  of 
hands  in  the  box-shop,  and  this,  and  that,  and 
finally,  was  there  any  thing  she  could  do  to 
help  along  ? 

Just  there  Belle  stopped  her,  and  describing 
the  brewery  trouble,  said  that  she  wanted  help 
in  having  something  done  to  abate  the  evil, 
especially  as  she  was  having  the  old  warehouse, 
which  was  next  door,  remodelled  for  a  girls' 
lodging  house. 

"  I  find  that  Mr.  Crittenden  owns  the  brew- 
ery," said  Belle,  candidly,  "and  although  possibly 
he  does  not  know  it,  the  business  there  carried 
on  is  a  source  of  great  damage  to  our  mission- 
ary work." 

"  Why,  my  dear,  you  are  surely  mistaken," 
exclaimed  Mrs.  Crittenden,  lifting  her  hands  in 
dismay.  "  I  am  sure  Egbert  would  not  counte- 
nance any  thing  of  the  kind ;  indeed,  he  is 
known  as  a  strong  temperance  advocate.  Do 
you  not  recall  the  concert  we  had  recently  at 
the  church,  when  he  pictured  so  vividly  the 
curse  that  beer  had  proved  in  the  old  country, 
and  warned  the  young  people  to  shun  it?" 

Her  caller  remembered  the  circumstances,  and 
said  so  with  quiet  grace,  while  Mrs.  Crittenden, 
on  the  spur  of  the  moment,  summoned  her  hus- 


22O  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


band,  who  had  just  returned  from  the  day's 
business  down  town,  and  after  the  usual  greet- 
ings, broached  the  subject  of  interest  by  say- 
Ing,— 

"Egbert,  are  you  the  owner  of  any  property 
on  Bruges  Street  ? " 

Mr.  Crittenden  was  evidently  not  prepared  for 
a  question  of  this  sort,  for  his  florid  face  took 
on  a  deeper  red,  and  his  eyes  shifted  uneasily 
from  one  to  the  other  as  he  replied,  — 

"  Bruges  Street  ?  Re  —  really,  my  dear,  you 
will  have  to  ask  Jacob  about  what  we  have 
now.  My  real  estate  ventures  are  large,  you 
know." 

"Yes,  but  on  Bruges  Street  there  is  a  brewery 
hired  by  a  man  named  Dittenhoffer,  who  says  he 
has  it  directly  from  you,"  continued  his  wife. 

"You  are  right;  I  remember  now.  The  build- 
ing came  to  me  in  an  exchange,  and  has  always 
been  used  as  a  brewery  since  the  time  of  the 
elder  Van  Alstyne,"  with  a  bow  toward  Belle. 
"  I  guess  there  is  but  little  business  done  in  it 
now.  The  German  who  leases  it,  I  am  told, 
brews  for  a  few  private  families  chiefly." 

The  smooth  way  in  which  the  question  was 
being  discussed — making  it  appear  of  no  conse- 
quence—  was  not  lost  upon  the  caller,  who 
said, — 


TREASURER   CRITTENDEN'S  PROPERTY.       221 

"Mr.  Crittenden,  you  are  surely  misinformed  in 
this  matter,  as  I  called  at  the  place  this  morning, 
and  know  that  it  is  running  to  the  extent  of  its 
capacity ;  indeed,  the  clerk  so  informed  me.  If 
you  only  knew  the  harm  that  this  business  is 
doing,  I  am  sure  you  would  at  once  let  the 
building  to  some  more  reputable  tenant." 

"Why  can't  you  send  this  German  flying,  as 
it  is  ? "  said  his  wife. 

"Softly!  softly!"  said  the  other.  "We  must 
look  at  things  as  they  are,  not  as  we  would 
like  to  have  them.  This  man  was  a  tenant  be- 
fore the  place  became  mine,  and  I  am  but 
holding  the  property  until  I  can  find  a  suitable 
customer,  when  I  shall  sell  it  out,  and  be 
very  glad  to  do  so." 

"  But  why  not  keep  the  property,  and  by 
leasing  it  for  some  business  that  is  respectable, 
do  what  seems  a  plain  duty  ? "  said  Belle,  with 
spirit. 

"  Yes,  Egbert,  I  'm  'sure  your  position  demands 
it,"  chimed  in  his  wife. 

Mr.  Crittenden  looked  excessively  annoyed,  as 
it  was  plain  that  he  had  not  expected  to  have 
it  known  to  members  of  his  church,  or  even  to 
his  wife,  that  he  possessed  such  unsavory  prop- 
erty; but  none  the  less  was  he  unwilling  to  lose 
money  by  sacrificing  it. 


222  HER  OPPORTUNITY.  % 

"Business  is  business,  and  I  fear  I  could  not 
make  it  clear  to  you  ladies  that  we  are  often- 
times obliged  to  come  in  contact  with  various 
forms  of  vice  in  our  great  cities,  without  being 
able  to  relieve  them,"  he  said,  confusedly. 

"But  we  are  perfectly  willing  to  talk  hue/ 
ness,"  said  Belle.  "I  am  an  owner  of  re?, 
estate  adjoining  yours,  and  mine  is  injured  by 
the  boisterous  behavior  of  the  drivers  of  your 
tenant.  Now  it  is  possible  to  get  redress  for 
such  things,  as  you  well  know,  by  complaining 
of  them  as  nuisances ;  but  I  do  not  wish  to 
have  that  done,  as  I  propose  a  better  way,  and 
one  that  is  more  to  your  advantage." 

"I  am  all  attention,"  said  the  treasurer,  meekly. 

"Suppose  you  do  with  your  property  what  I 
am  doing  with  mine,  —  repair  it  throughout,  and 
make  it  fit  for  a  respectable  tenant." 

"  Yes." 

"When  that  is  done,  I  will  guarantee  you  a 
tenant,  —  a  manufacturer,  —  who  will  bring  good 
people  into  the  neighborhood,  and  will  raise  the 
value  of  real  estate  twenty  per  cent." 

Belle  spoke  with  animation,  as  she  was  deeply 
interested  in  the  practical  side  of  her  problem ; 
and  at  the  mention  of  a  twenty  per  cent,  in- 
crease of  valuation,  the  eyes  of  the  owner  glit- 
tered suggestively,  while  he  said,  suavely,  — 


TREASURER  CRITTENDEN^  PROPERTY.       22$ 

"I  am  sure,  nothing  would  please  me  better 
than  to  have  the  opportunity  to  do  something 
of  the  kind,  for  its  moral  effect  alone.  I  will 
look  the  matter  up  to-morrow,  and  see  what 
such  a  move  will  cost ;  and  in  the  meantime, 
let  me  entreat  you  to  give  yourself  no  uneasi- 
ness, for,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  have  long  been 
considering  how  I  could  best  remove  this  in- 
cubus." 

Belle,  assured  that  her  mission  was  accom- 
plished, and  that  the  brewery  would  shortly  give 
place  to  a  respectable  industry,  refused  an  in- 
vitation to  stop  to  dinner,  and  hurried  home. 
As  she  took  leave,  Mr.  Crittenden  said  some- 
thing about  there  being  a  possibility  of  an  un- 
expired  lease  that  might  make  it  difficult  at  once 
to  remove  the  German ;  but  Belle  was  so  full 
of  joy  that  her  errand  had  been  successful,  that 
she  scarcely  heard  it. 

The  next  day,  true  to  his  word,  the  real- 
estate  dealer  did  look  into  the  matter,  but  in 
an  original  way  of  his  own,  that  will  bear 
description. 

"  Is  Dittenhoffer  in  ? "  he  said,  briskly,  to  the 
clerk. 

"Yes,    sir.     Take   a   seat;    I   will   call   him." 

Instead  of  seating  himself  the  other  stood 
tapping  his  foot  impatiently  on  the  carpeted 


224  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

floor,  as  if  waiting  was  something  to  which  he 
was  not  accustomed. 

"Ah,  good  day,  Dittenhoffer.  I  just  dropped 
in  to  tell  you  that  after  your  lease  expires, 
which  it  does  in  three  months,  I  believe  I  shall 
want  these  premises  for  another  business,"  said 
he,  almost  before  the  ponderous  German  was 
within  earshot. 

"  Oder  business !  Mein  cracious !  what  oder 
business  ? " 

"  Manufacturing." 

"  Manufacturing  ?  Vot  's  de  matter  mit  me  ? 
I  bays  mine  rendt  alvays,  aind't  it  ?  I  man- 
ufactures, do  n't  I  ?  Say,  I  guess  dot  Gov- 
ernor Pitcairn's  daughter  vos  trying  to  buy 
you  oop.  Don't  you  know  she  will  fail  britty 
soon,  if  the  'Box  Troost '  keeps  shpoiling  her 
peesiness  ? " 

"This  party  offers  more  rent  than  you  pay," 
said  the  treasurer,  but  with  an  uncertainty  in 
his  voice  that  told  that  the  shot  went  home, 
and  that  he  doubted  Belle's  ability  to  pull 
through  without  loss. 

"  Veil,  you  did  n't  write  down  an  agreement 
mit  her?" 

"No." 

"Ah,  dot  vash  all  right.  I  vill  bay  more  al- 
ready. How  much  you  vant  ?  " 


TREASURER  CRITTENDEN^S  PROPERTY.       22$ 

"  One  thousand  dollars  more,"  replied  Critten- 
den,  a  covetous  glow  suffusing  his  face. 

"  Ein  tousend  ?  Great  himmel !  you  vas  ruined 
me.  Take  eight  hunerd.  No  ?  Take  nine  hun- 
erd.  No  ?  Veil,  Shames,  wridt  oudt  a  new  lease 
at  dot  most  ungodly .  brices,  and  pring  it  here 
to  be  sign." 

Wiping  the  perspiration  from  his  brow,  Mr. 
Crittenden  took  his  departure  after  the  business 
had  been  transacted,  and  started  for  his  office, 
guilty,  but  full  of  a  sneaking  triumph,  that  he 
had,  by  a  stroke  of  genius,  secured  to  himself 
another  thousand  a  year,  and  that  without  at 
all  compromising  his  position,  for,  like  the  shrewd 
man  he  was,  he  had  dated  the  lease  back  sev- 
eral weeks  prior  to  Miss  Belle's  visit. 

When,  therefore,  full  of  -her  new  plans  for 
the  removal  of  the  brewery,  she  called  upon  the 
treasurer,  he  met  her  with  a  face  full  of  sor- 
row, and  told  her  that  he  found  he  had  signed 
a  lease  some  time  previous,  granting  to  Ditten- 
hoffer  use  of  the  brewery  for  quite  a  term  of 
years,  for  which  he  was  very  sorry. 

"  You  remember,  I  warned  you  the  other  day, 
when  you  were  here,  that  I  feared  this  might 
be  the  case,"  said  he,  as  the  disappointed  lady 
was  leaving. 

"But,    Egbert,  would   it   not  be   better   for  you, 


226  ffEK   OPPORTUNITY. 

in  some  way,  to  break  this  lease,  and  allow  the 
manufacturer  of  whom  Miss  Pitcairn  spoke  to 
have  the  property?"  inquired  his  wife,  when  he 
described  the  scene  to  her. 

"  That  manufacturer  is  Miss  Pitcairn  herself, 
I  think ;  and  if  reports  are  true,  another  six 
months  will  knock  her  business  venture  in  the 
head,"  responded  the  astute  treasurer,  with  a 
v.'ily  smiie. 


BfG  TOM'S  REVENGE. 


XV. 

S    1  @rr) 

§ETTEREDGE,  although  rough  in  speech  and 
manner,  as  were  most  of  his  associates,  was 
not  bred  to  such  uncouthness.  Once  he  was 
called  "  Gentleman  Tom,"  but  when  the  name 
ceased  to  fit  him  it  was  dropped,  his  present  sobri- 
quet taking  its  place.  He  always  had  plenty  of 
money,  and  when  he  kept  the  saloon  in  part- 
nership with  Conlon,  and  collected  the  renU 
that  were  due  his  niece,  was  said  to  be  worth 
several  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Certain  it  was, 
that  he  squandered  money  right  and  left,  —  that 
he  gambled-  recklessly,  and  bet  heavily,  but 
whether,  in  the  long  run,  he  lost  or  won,  no 
one  ot  his  intimates  could  discover. 

After  the  judgment  regarding  the  corner  house 
had  been  rendered  against  him,  he  took  himself 
away,  and  remained  hidden  for  a  time,  —  but 
wearying  of  this,  sent  a  lawyer  to  settle  the 
affair,  after  which  he  appeared  again  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  "  Wedge."  That  he  was  changed, 


228  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

his  friends  at  once  saw,  for  his  manner  was  quick 
and  irritable,  and  there  was  in  his  eyes  an  in- 
sane glint,  that  told  of  hate  so  plainly  that  the 
children  in  the  street  sped  out  of  his  way  in 
all  haste.  Aside  from  this,  he  was  drinking 
more  heavily  than  even  the  most  reckless  of  his 
companions  approved. 

The  only  person  who  appeared  really  to  care 
for  Betteredge  was  an  old  domestic  named  Meg, 
who  had  been  his  nurse  from  infancy,  and  who 
lived  alone  for  "  her  Tom,"  and  would  at  any 
time  have  sacrificed  her  life  to  save  his.  When 
she  had  joined  him,  after  his  return  to  the  city, 
he  had  allowed  her  to  hire  a  small  flat  which 
he  called  home,  and  where  sometimes  he  ate 
and  slept. 

One  night  when  Betteredge  returned  from  a 
drinking  haunt,  and  sat  in  the  comfortably  fur- 
nished sitting-room,  there  came  a  strange  look 
on  his  pale,  drawn  face. 

"  Ye'  er  like  to  hae  an  uncanny  neet  ? "  ven- 
tured Meg  at  last,  as  she  stood  regarding  him 
with  a  sad,  wistful  expression,  —  her  hands  large 
and  bony  as  a  man's,  clasping  and  unclasping 
with  nervous  anticipation,  —  her  bright  eyes  full 
of  motherly  sympathy  and  love.  The  look  on 
his  face  was  not  a  new  one  to  her,  for  since 
the  drink  demon  had  so  strong  a  hold  on  the 


BIG   TOM'S  REVENGE. 


man,  he  was  often  afflicted  with  morbid  fears 
and  fancies  that,  for  the  time,  were  much  like 
a  touch  of  madness. 

He  made  no  answer  to  her  remark,  but  drew 
his  chair  closer  to  the  fire,  his  features  working 
nervously,  as  if  oppressed  with  mortal  fear. 

"  What  time  is  it  ?  "  he  asked  at  length,  his 
voice  thick  and  hardly  audible. 

"  It   lacks   aboot   a   quarter  o'   ten." 

With  sudden  energy  he  roused  and  said 
harshly,  —  "  Put  out  the  light  !  "  in  a  tone  that 
made  the  woman  shiver,  yet  he  followed  her  from 
room  to  room  like  a  nervous  girl,  peering  into 
closets  and  behind  doors,  with  a  timidity  that 
would  have  been  ludicrous,  had  it  not  been  so 
painfully  real.  When  the  rounds  were  made,  he 
locked  himself  into  his  own  room,  and  the  house 
was  still.  Meg,  in  stocking  feet,  brought  a  pil- 
low, and  stretched  herself  on  the  mat  before 
his  door. 

After  an  hour  of  oppressive  silence  the  faith- 
i'ul  woman  heard  a  movement  in  the  room,  and 
a  faint  light  shone  out  into  the  hall.  The  fear 
was  still  on  him,  she  knew  by  the  sound  of 
searching  that  came  from  wardrobe,  closet,  —  • 
from  any  place  where  ingenious  fright  could  hide 
uncanny  shape. 

The    light    was    soon    extinguished,    and    quiet 


23O  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

again  reigned,  but  soon  there  broke  upon  the 
stillness  a  groan,  while  Meg,  with  beating  heart 
and  tearful  eyes,  listened  eagerly,  echoing  each 
stifled  sigh.  She  could  picture  her  master 
crouching  in  his  chair,  haunted  by  dreadful 
fancies. 

As   she   waited,  there  came  an  imploring  call,  — 

"Meg!    Meg!" 

It  was  like  the  wail  of  a  lost  spirit,  and  so 
unlike  "  Big  Tom's "  voice,  that  the  old  woman 
paused  for  a  moment  in  doubt.  Then  the  door 
was  shaken  with  violence. 

"  Ye  hae  locked  yeersel'  in ;  turrn  the  key  !  " 
called  Meg  from  the  outside.  With  trembling 
haste  the  door  was  unfastened,  and  she  walked 
in,  lighted  a  lamp,  and,  without  glancing  at  the 
blanched  face,  said,  — 

"  We  '11  go  to  the  settin'-room,  an'  stay  by 
the  fire." 

Without   a   word   Betteredge  followed   her. 

"  I  thought  I  could  throw  it  off,  Meg,  but 
it  conquered ! "  he  said  pitifully. 

"Ye '11  be  all  reet,  come  mornin',"  she  an- 
swered soothingly;  "ye've  overwarked  yeersel'." 

"  I  have  been  overdoing  of  late,"  he  said, 
catching  at  the  idea.  "  I  must  have  more 
rest." 

They   sat    for    some   time    in    silence,    the    man 


BIG   TOM'S  REVENGE. 


casting  nervous  glances  around  the  room,  the 
woman  with  her  kind,  sensible  eyes  fixed  on 
his  face. 

"  Tell  me  about  my  mother,  Meg,"  he  said, 
finally.  "  I  think  I  should  have  been  more  of  a 
human  being,  and  less  of  a  devil,  if  she  had 
lived." 

"  Ye  hae  missed  a  mither's  luve,  puir  laddie, 
but  't  was  na  her  blame.  I  kenned  her  weel, 
fra'  the  time  she  were  a  wee  lassie  till  her 
marriage." 

"Was   she   beautiful?"   asked   her  listener. 

"  Aye,  she  were  so  ca'ad.  She  was  as  blithe 
as  a  bird.  I  hae  seen  her  oft  come  flyin*  over 
the  moor  barc-heided,  wi'  hands  fu'  o'  posies, 
happy  as  the  finest  leddy  i'  the  land."  The  old 
woman  stopped  and  seemed  lost  in  thought, 
while  the  man  waited  for  her  to  go  on. 

"  Your  feyther,"  she  continued,  "  met  her  of 
a  day  oot  in  the  fields,  an'  before  long  they 
were  weel  acquaint.  She  was  pleased  wi'  his 
fine  manners  an'  boughten  claiths,  an'  before  it 
could  be  stopped,  they  were  married.  They 
made  a  bonny  pair;  he  tall  and  canny,  an'  she 
rosy  and  fair,  but  his  folk  cared  little  for  her 
beauty,  they  made  her  life  a  weariness,  till  she 
begged  him  to  let  her  return  hame  to  her  fey- 
ther. But  he  would  na'  hear  o'  eet,  an'  her 


232  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

hairt  was  breekin'.  It  was  then  that  you  first 
saw  the  light.  For  a  time  yeer  feyther  seemed 
more  kind,  but  his  folk  soon  alienated  him 
agen,  an'  whenever  he  spoke  to  the  wife,  it 
was  hard  an'  crool  words.  So  when  you  were 
sax  months  ould,  she  fled  fra'  him  an'  his  kin, 
hidin'  herscl'  in  a  little  country  toon  some 
twenty  miles  awa'." 

"  Did  she  have  any  money  ? "  asked  Better- 
edge,  although  he  had  heard  the  story  many 
times  .and  knew  every  point. 

"  Not  a  copper  o'  his  money,"  replied  Meg, 
with  spirit.  "  What  little  she  had  she  earned 
by  hard  wark.  She  was  resigned  as  lang  as 
she  had  her  bairn  wi'  her,  but  there  came  a 
day  when  she  returned  fra'  wark  an'  foun'  him 
not.  S.he  learned  fra'  the  woman  who  keppet 
the  hoose,  that  some  o'  yeer  feyther's  folk  had 
tain  ye  awa'.  So  she  traveled  the  twenty  mile 
on  foot,  an'  plead  wi'  them  to  gie  her  back 
her  boy,  but  they  only  laughed  an'  said  that 
she  were  daft." 

"  What    became   of   her   then  ? " 

"  Weel,  she  warked  in  various  places,  growin' 
thin  an'  losin'  her  beauty,  till  her  ain  folk 
would  scarce  ken  her.  At  last  word  came  that 
she  was  deed.  Soon  after  this  yeer  feyther 
came  to  America  an'  started  in  business,  an'  J 


BIG   TOM'S  REVENGE.  233 

heard  na  more  o'  yeer  folk  till  I  came  to  wark 
for  ye  after  yeer  feyther's  death." 

The  words  of  the  old  servant  soothed  her 
listener  like  an  opiate.  The  trembling  had 
almost  ceased,  and  the  quick,  apprehensive 
glances  toward  the  corners  of  the  room  were 
growing  less  frequent. 

"  It 's  twa'  o'clock,"  said  Meg ;  "  yeer  bad 
turrn  is  over.  I  maun  as  weel  leave  ye  noo." 

"No,  Meg,  stay  here!"  he  entreated.  "It  will 
return  if  I  am  left  alone.  Stay  until  daylight. 
Do  n't  leave  me  for  an  instant !  " 

His  terror  was  so  real  that  Meg  yielded,  and 
hour  after  hour  kept  her  vigil.  Sometimes  Bet- 
teredge  dozed  a  little,  but  waked  with  a  start 
and  shiver  as  soon  as  his  eyes  fairly  closed, 
and  Meg,  patient,  with  an  unceasing  calmness, 
quieting  her  "  lad "  as  a  mother  would  a 
child. 

At  last  morning  broke.  One  after  another  the 
shadows  fled  from  the  poisoned  brain,  and  the 
"  spell "  was  over.  The  feverish  night,  however, 
had  left  its  mark  upon  the  sufferer.  The  dom- 
ineering man  seemed  crushed ;  a  mute,  beseech- 
ing weariness  was  shown  in  his  every  motion. 
Meg  insisted  upon  his  taking  complete  rest,  and 
for  once  she  found  a  willing  listener,  and  re- 
tiring to  the  chamber  from  which  he  had  so 


234  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


recently  been  driven,  he  threw  himself  upon  the 
bed  and  was  soon  in  a  deep  sleep. 

As  for  Meg,  she  went  about  her  household 
duties,  the  night  seeming  to  have  made  no  im- 
pression of  fatigue  upon  her.  She  budged  around 
from  one  task  to  another,  the  thought  of  the 
strange  delirium  ever  before  her;  yet  she  could 
not  understand  it.  "  Big  Tom "  was  no  coward, 
she  was  well  assured,  and  the  only  reason  she 
could  give  for  his  increasingly  frequent  tremons 
was  his  drinking  habits,  and  to  this  cause  she 
was  loth  to  lay  them. 

The  next  day  Betteredge  attended  a  meeting 
of  the  Liquor  Dealers'  Federation,  of  which  he 
was  a  member,  and  spoke  of  his  investments 
in  certain  rum-shops  in  the  city,  and  of  the 
duties  of  the  association  in  protecting  their  in- 
terests. To  hear  him  in  conversation  and  in  de- 
bate, always  clear-headed  and  master  of  the 
situation,  one  would  not  believe  that  he  was 
the  same  man  who,  but  a  few  short  hours 
before,  was  crouching  in  abject  fear  of  he  knew 
not  what. 

Yet  he  continued  to  drink,  even  though  he 
knew  that  while  he  persisted  there  was  no  hope 
of  deliverance  from  these  brief  fits  of  madness. 
And  as  he  drank,  the  hate  he  bore  the  mis- 
sionary, and  his  wife,  and  all  of  their  helpers, 


BIG   TOM'S  REVENGE.  235 

grew  and  increased,  until  it  was  his  dominant 
passion.  As  he  pondered  the  chances  for  revenge, 
he  haunted  the  streets  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
Mission,  glared  angrily  at  the  workmen  who 
were  repairing  and  enlarging  the  warehouse,  and 
longed  for  his  chance  to  come.  At  last  it  did 
come,  and  in  this  wise:  — 

Night  had  fallen  upon  the  city.  From  the 
ocean,  sweeping  across  Brooklyn  Heights',  sing- 
ing in  the  taut  cables  of  the  great  bridge,  came 
the  strong,  moist  wind  that  betokened  a  long 
storm.  Up  and  down  the  East  River  the  steam- 
ers, barges,  and  sailing  vessels  were  pulling  un- 
easily at  their  moorings,  while  the  busy  ferry- 
boats struggled  through  the  short,  angry,  chop 
sea,  that  drove  them  from  their  course,  and 
kept  them  whistling,  ringing,  and  backing,  for 
fear  that  they  would  either  crash  into  the  well- 
fenced  landings,  or,  losing  headway,  be  swept 
by  current,  tide  or  wind  among  the  moored  craft 
at  the  merchant  slips. 

As  far  away  as  Midnight  Street  the  various 
river  noises  could  be  heard,  and  mingling  with 
the  whistling  of  the  wind,  the  slamming  of 
loosened  shutters,  and  creaking  of  rusty  sign- 
hinges,  it  seemed  as  if  it  were  raining  uncanny 
sounds. 

As    the    city    clock    struck    ten,    there    might 


236  HER  OPPORTUNITY, 

have  been  seen  emerging  from  a  saloon  nearly 
opposite  the  Faith  Mission,  two  men  who  halted 
in  •  the  lee  of  a  doorway  to  look  for  a  moment 
at  the  bright  lights  across  the  way. 

"Our  lights  used  to  burn  there,  .Con.,"  growled 
one,  a  huge  fellow,  his  features  concealed  by  a 
slouch  hat  and  high  coat  collar. 

"I    know   it,"  was  the   reply,  with  a  deep  curse. 

"  Now  they  have  all  sorts  of  pious  foolery 
going  on,  and  the  people  that  run  it  were  ap- 
pointed as  the  kid's  guardian,  so  they  kin  do 
as  they  please,  and  no  one  to  hinder,"  contin- 
ued the  first  speaker. 

"  It  's  a  shame,"  was  the  angry  comment ; 
"ever  since  that  confounded  coon  jumped  on  me 
and  cut  me  with  his  razor,  there  has  been  no 
more  luck  for  me.  It 's  been  lose,  lose,  lose, 
stiddy  ever  since." 

"  The  coon  did  n't  turn  your  luck,  it  was 
that  pious  Thomas,  that  prayed  in  the  bar-room. 
I  knowed  it  would  bring  trouble,  and  you  had 
better  let  me  popped  him.  I  did  n't  intend  to 
kill,  only  just  put  a  pill  in  his  shoulder  that 
would  give  him  something  to  think  about,  in- 
stead of  praying  curses  down  upon  us  ;  but  you 
played  the  baby,  and  would  n't  have  him  hurt, 
and  now  where  are  we  ? " 

Conlon   did   not    answer    for   a   full   minute,   but 


BIG   TOM'S  REVENGE.  237 

hung  his  head,  and  seemed  deep  in  meditation, 
while  his  companion  took  out  a  short  black  pipe 
and  proceeded  to  light  it,  glancing  from  time  to 
time,  with  contemptuous  expression,  at  his  com- 
panion. Finally  the  ex-rum-seller  said,  — 

"  Betteredge,  if  I  died  I  could  n't  help  it,  but 
that  prayer  has  hung  by  me  ever  since.  Many 's 
the  time  I  've  found  myself  repeating  of  it  when 
I  was  alone,  and  cursed  aloud  to  stop  it.  I 
wish  that  missionary  had  left  me  to  take  my 
chances  and  never  showed  his  face  to  me. 
Just  as  I  was  getting  a  good  start  and  money 
ahead,  and  the  boys  were  filling  into  the  saloon, 
—  he  comes  along  and  spiles  the  whole  thing. 
Then  comes  the  summons  to  get  out  of  the 
corner,  the  best  on  the  street,  and  though  we 
offered  twice  the  old  rent,  it  warn't  even  looked 
at.  Luck !  it 's  the  meanest  streak  that  ever  a 
man  had,  and  I  'd  like  to  spill  some  of  it  on  to 
these  missionary  folks." 

"  VVal,  let 's  do  it.  Let 's  ketch  that  feller, 
Thomas,  and  punch  his  head,  and  tell  him  if 
he  do  n't  get  outer  this  neighborhood  that  we '!] 
kill  him,"  was  the  savage  response. 

"  No  use !  No  use  at  all  !  You  do  n't  know 
that  breed  of  people.  They  ain't  no  reason  in 
them.  Do  up  one  of  them,  and  two  come  to 
take  his  place.  You  try  to  lick  'em,  and  they 


HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


just  flop  down  and  pray,  and  it  takes  the  grit 
right  outern  any  one.  All  we  can  do  is  to  look 
up  another  stand,  and  take  our  chances  again  of 
being  driven  out."  The  man  spoke  with  convic- 
tion, and  his  companion's  smouldering  wrath 
broke  into  open  flame. 

"You baby,"  he  growled.  "You  haven't 

got  grit  enough  to  be  any  thing  but  a  whining 
missionary  yourself.  Better  go  in  and  join  them. 
They  would  be  mighty  glad  of  a  convert  like 
you." 

The  smaller  man,  with  a  gleam  of  fierce 
anger  in  his  eyes,  turned  like  a  cat  and  leaped 
at  the  other's  threat,  clutching  it  with  fingers  of 
iron,  and  rendering  the  giant  weak  as  a  child, 
by  a  sudden  and  vicious  choking,  when  he  re- 
leased htm  and  said,  — 

"  I  've  got  grit  enough  to  settle  you  at  any 
time,  and  don 't  you  forget  it.  If  I  do  jine 
the  missionary,  it  will  be  my  lookout,  although 
I  'm  fur  enough  from  it." 

Very  meekly  the  big  man  accepted  the  rough 
lesson,  knowing  that,  in  spite  of  his  large  frame 
and  great  strength,  he  was  no  match  for  Con- 
Ion. 

"  You  need  not  be  so  savage,  old  man,"  he 
said,  as  soon  as  he  could  speak.  "  I  was  only 
joking,  except  in  my  wish  to  smash  the  mis- 


BIG   TOM'S  REVENGE.  239 


sionary's  head.  You  and  I  do  n't  need  to  fight ; 
we  have  allus  been  friends." 

But  Conlon,  out  of  sorts  with  himself  and  the 
whole  world,  and  hating  for  the  moment  even 
his  best  friend,  gave  an  incoherent  growl,  and 
strode  away  into  the  darkness.  "Big  Tom" 
looked  after  him  with  an  expression  of  regret, 
and  then  turned  again  toward  the  Mission  with 
fresh  wrath  because  it  had  been  the  means  of 
separating  him  from  his  former  partner  and 
friend. 

"  I  'd  like  to  blow  your  whole  ranch  into 
smithereens,"  he  muttered,  glaring  at  the  peace- 
ful light  that  streamed  from  the  bright,  clean 
windows.  The  more  he  pondered  over  the 
change  a  few  short  months  had  wrought,  the 
more  savage  he  became,  until  finally  in  a  sud- 
den burst  of  rage  he  snatched  up  a  half-brick 
that  lay  in  the  gutter,  and  hurling  it  through 
the  window,  turned  and  fled. 

Two  hours  later  he  again  yisited  the  place, 
and  found  the  window  patched  with  brown 
paper,  the  light  still  burning,  and  the  missionary 
talking  with  a  poor,  half-drunken  sailor,  who, 
drugged  and  robbed,  had  wandered  in  there  for 
shelter. 

After  a  careful  survey  of  the  room,  from 
the  outside,  "  Big  Tom "  skulked  off  around  the 


24O  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

corner,  up  Bruges  Street  toward  the  brewery. 
He  knew  the  ground  pretty  well,  and  had  in 
his  less  wrathful  cogitation  evolved  a  plan  that 
he  thought  would  be  successful  in  at  least  put- 
ting a  check  on  the  aggressive  Christian  work 
of  the  Mission. 

Between  the  rear  of  the  Mission  building  and 
the  side  of  the  brewery,  ran  a  narrow  alley 
that  had  been  roofed  over  and  let  to  a  man 
who  sold  wood  in  small  bundles,  and  coal  by 
the  basket.  This  place  was  piled  high  with 
packages  of  kindling,  and  was  in  the  condition 
that  "  Big  Tom "  desired  to  carry  out  his  plan. 

Cautiously  he  tried  the  door  that  he  had  so  often 
entered  to  collect  rent  from  the  humble  tenant. 
None  knew  better  than  he  how  it  was  fastened, 
and  he  had  no  difficulty  in  forcing  it  open, 
although  it  made  no  little  noirse,  which,  however, 
blended  with,  the  many  noises  of  the  windy 
night,  and  brought  him  in  no  danger  of  detec- 
tion. After  effecting  an  entrance  he  disappeared 
within  for  a  few  moments,  and  when  he  reap- 
peared, it  was  only  to  shut  the  door  hastily,  to 
pull  his  slouch  hat  further  over  his  eyes,  and 
keeping  close  in  the  shadow  of  the  brewery,  to 
hurry  off  until  the  great  city  and  the  night 
had  swallowed  him  up. 

Five     minutes    after    the     revengeful    rum-seller 


BIG    TOM'S  REVENGE,  24! 

had  disappeared,  there  came  a  slight  muffled  re- 
port that  sounded  to  those  who  heard  it  like 
the  slamming  of  some  extra,  heavy  door,  and 
then  all  was  quiet.  The  officer  whose  duty 
it  was  to  patrol  Biuges  Street  had  stepped 
into  a  convenient  saloon,  and  with  a  mug  of 
beer  before  him,  sat  listening  to  the  patter  of 
the  big  drops  of  rain  that  were  now  beginning 
to  fall  in  earnest.  He  was  "  solid "  with  the 
beer  men  in  that  vicinity,  and  so  felt  very  se- 
cure, and  was  fully  as  well  content  to  draw  his 
pay  for  this  sort  of  work  as  for  tramping  up 
and  down  in  the  cold,  swinging  his  club,  and 
keeping  his  eye  out  for  possible  wrong-doers. 

Following  the  report  in  the  kindling-shop, 
there  had  been  a  sound  of  falling  wood,  and 
later,  the  crackling  of  flames,  —  sounds  that  had 
"  Big  Tom "  heard,  would  have  assured  him  that 
his  plan  of  vengeance  was  in  a  fair  way  to  be 
successful. 


242  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


XVI. 


frj 


:.py. 


§ONLON,  almost  as  angry  as  "Big  Tom," 
but  without  his  intention  for  securing  re- 
venge by  the  commission  of  crime,  had  sepa- 
rated from  him,  disgusted  with  him  and  with  the 
world  in  general.  He  felt  as  if  there  was  no 
place  in  which  he  could  pursue  his  business 
unmolested  by  missionaries  and  his  conscience ; 
for  the  words  of  Thomas'  prayer  rose  still  fresh 
in  his  memory,  nor  could  he  shake  off  the  im- 
pression they  had  produced.  While  in  this  state 
of  mind  he  had  looked  at  several  saloons  with 
a  view  to  buying,  but  none  suited,  and  at  last 
the  real-estate  agent,  out  t>f  all  patience,  declared 
he  could  spend  no  more  time  on  so  unprofit- 
able a  customer,  and  that  he  might  thereafter 
look  up  his  own  chances. 

Determined  at  length  to  take  any  place  that 
offered,  he  began  to  read  the  advertisements  in 
the  daily  papers,  with  but  little  relish,  however, 
until  the  need  of  a  "  strong,  active  man,  well 


AN  EVENING  AT  THE   BATTERY.  243 

acquainted  with  box  machinery,"  caught  his  eye. 
Naturally  ingenious,  and  a  machinist  by  trade,-  the 
old  longing  came  over  him  to  be  among  the 
whirling  wheels  again,  and  he  decided  to  apply 
for  the  place.  It  was  in  Harlem,  he  found,  but 
that  made  no  difference  to  him,  and  in  the 
course  of  an  hour  he  stood  in  the  office  of  the 
Van  Alstyne  Manufacturing  Co.,  answering  the 
questions  of  the  foreman  of  the  machine-room, 
with  a  half-defiant  air  that  was  in  no  way 
helpful  to  him. 

"  Your  name  is ,"  began  the  foreman, 

and  waited  for  the  other  to  finish,  but  Conlon 
indifferently  waited  also,  with  an  expression  on 
his  face  that  said  plainly  :  "  If  you  wish  to 
know,  ask." 

"  What  is  your  name  ? "  said  the  questioner, 
sharply. 

"John    Conlon." 

"  Where   are   you   now   employed  ? " 

"  Nowhere." 

"  What  were  you  doing  when  you  quit  work  ? " 
said  the  foreman,  a  trifle  impatiently. 

"  Ruianing  one  of  the  toughest  bar-rooms  in 
New  York,"  was  the  cool  answer. 

"  If  that  is  where  you  learned  your  trade  as 
a  machinist,  we  do  not  want  you,"  said  the 
foreman. 


244  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

"  Hold  on  a  bit,  young  man.  I  never  said 
that  was  where  I  learned  my  trade,  and  while 
I  know  you  won't  hire  me  'cause  I  ain't  hum- 
ble enough,  I  want  you  to  understand  that 
when  I  say  I  understand  machine-work,  it  's  true. 
Jest  you  go  down  to  Liebert's  Machine  Shop, 
and  ask  who  was  the  only  person  that  drew 
two  men's  pay  for  two  years,  and  they  '11  tell 
you  it  was  John  Conlon.  Understand  machinery? 
Why,  I  could  build  all  you  've  got  here  out 
of  raw  material  while  you  were  smoothing  a 
casting." 

During  this  conversation  Miss  Pitcairn  had 
been  listening  with  interest,  and  she  now  came 
forward,  saying  decisively, — 

"  Mr.  Smith,  you  had  better  engage  this  man, 
I  think,  as  our  machinery  must  have  the  best 
of  care.  It  need  not  weigh  against  him  that  he 
owned  a  saloon,  for  he  has  given  it  up,  and 
turning  to  a  better  business  is  to  his  credit." 

"  I  had  to  vacate  because  my  lease  expired," 
explained  Conlon,  sturdily,  but  with  a  softened 
look  at  the  fair  woman  who  had  taken  his  part, 
even  though  he  did  not  care  a  whit  for  the 
position. 

The  next  day  he  took  his  place,  and  seemed 
at  once  consumed  by  a  feverish  activity.  The 
slow  ways  that  the  ordinary  workmen  indulged 


AN  EVENING  AT  THE  BATTERY.  24$ 

in,  made  him  frantic  with  impatience,  and  his 
contempt  for  danger  and  weariness  soon  gave 
him  a  place  as  leader,  *  especially  among  the 
younger  men. 

The  foreman  watched  the  growing  popularity 
of  the  new  machinist  with  much  distrust,  and 
kept  Miss  Pitcairn  well  informed  regarding  his 
movements ;  but  while  she  disapproved  much 
that  he  did,  it  seemed  best  not  to  scan  his 
actions  too  carefully,  until  the  strength  of  his 
recklessness  should  wear  itself  out. 

It  was  not  alone  in  work  that  he  was  feverish 
and  impatient,  for  his  bad  habits  seemed  to  keep 
pace  with  his  industry,  and  while  he  was  never 
unfit  for  duty,  nor  in  any  way  offensive  during 
working  hours,  yet  it  was  known  that  he  was 
drinking  more  than  ever  before,  and  chewed  a 
plug  of  tobacco  a  day.  In  speech,  the  old,  quiet 
way  had  long  since  departed,  and  he  had  grown 
loud-voiced  and  profane. 

His  former  friends  avoided  him  to  an  extent, 
when  they  discovered  how  he  had  altered ;  for, 
evil  though  they  were,  there  was  a  semblance 
of  sanity  in  their  ill-doing,  while  Conlon  seemed 
to  be  insane  on  every  thing.  The  truth  was, 
the  man  had  been  deeply  stirred  by  the  mis- 
sionary's appeal,  and,  do  what  he  would,  could 
not  shake  off  the  effect  of  his  words.  He  did 


246  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

try,  —  every  oath,  every  carousal,  each  reckless 
deed,  each  day  of  frantic  work,  was  an  appeal 
to  forgetfulness ;  and  yet.  when  he  retired  late 
at  night,  or  often  early  in  the  morning,  the 
words  of  the  prayer  were  with  him,  and  the 
Spirit  of  God  was  striving  with  the  hardness  of 
the  awakened  heart. 

His  skill  and  strength,  even  if  he  did  drink 
and  was  profane,  procured  him  advancement 
among  a  class  of  men  who  were  opposed  to  doing 
more  than  they  could  help  in  the  way  of  work. 
When  he  hurt  his  back  by  over-lifting,  instead 
of  discharging  him  to  make  room  for  a  better 
man,  he  was  made  assistant  engineer,  and  within 
a  month,  the  burly  engineer  accepting  a  position 
in  the  West,  he  had  full  charge  of  the  great 
engine,  and  the  care  of  all  the  machinery  in  the 
mill. 

One  evening,  as  he  was  passing  the  "Wedge," 
he  noticed  the  usual  crowd  in  the  "open  lot," 
saw  a  preacher  in  the  little  wooden  pulpit,  and 
out  of  sheer  curiosity  he  drew  near  and  list- 
ened, with  a  look  of  angry  scorn  in  his  eyes. 
Once  or  twice  he  started  to  go  away,  with  a 
touch  of  his  old  impatience  of  movement,  but 
for  some  reason  remained. 

When  at  length  he  did  leave  the  Common,  it 
was  not  to  spend  the  night  in  carousing  as  he  had 


AN  EVENING  AT  THE  BATTERY.  247 

planned,  but  to  wander  off  away  from  his  com- 
panions to  a  part  of  the  city  that  they  never 
frequented.  Fiercer  than  ever  burned  the  fever 
in  his  veins,  more  acute  was  the  pain  of  the 
unrest  in  his  heart,  and  half-delirious>  he  strode 
along  till  he  reached  Broadway,  when  he  turned 
and  hurried  up-town.  Here  and  there  the 
bright  lights  of  the  liquor  palaces  called  him 
in,  but  he  was  not  in  the  mood  for  drinking, 
and  did  no  more  than  cast  an  occasional  glance 
at  their  alluring  splendor.  Where  Broadway  and 
Sixth  Avenue  cross  each  other,  he  halted  and 
leaned  against  the  stair-case  that  runs  up  to 
the  elevated  railroad.  As  he  stood  vaguely 
watching  the  uninterrupted  stream  of  passengers, 
ascending  and  descending,  he  caught  a  bit  of 
conversation  that  came  into  his  heart  like  a 
sudden  blessing.  Two  gentlemen  were  coming 
down  the  stairs,  hearty,  jolly,  and  loud-voiced. 
Said  one,  — 

"  Helping  some  one  else  is  the  secret  of 
happiness." 

"  I    believe   you,"    said   his   friend. 

Conlon  started  forward  to  hear  more,  but  they 
carried  that  topic  no  further,  and  he  was  disap- 
pointed. Yet,  had  he  not  heard  the  whole 
story  ?  Helping  others  ?  What  was  there  diffi- 
cult about  that  ?  He  determined  at  least  to 


248  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

give    the   idea   a   trial,   and    see   if  it    would    ease 
the   pain   in   his   troublesome   heart. 

He  had  not  long  to  wait  for  an  opportunity 
to  be  of  use  to  one  who  surely  stood  in  need 
of  assistance ;  for  toward  him,  struggling  slowly 
through  the  crowd,  came  a  little  girl,  bare-headed, 
bare-footed,  crying  softly  to  herself,  and  carrying 
a  heavy  basket. 

"  Here,  sis,  let  me  help  you  carry  it,'"  said 
Conlon,  kindly.  ', 

"  You  git  away,  or  I  '11  holler,"  was  the  sus- 
picious response. 

"Don't  let  him  touch  it,  sissy,  he  means  to 
steal  it,"  cautioned  a  fat  woman,  stopping  to 
bestow  a  look  of  horror  on  the  astounded  man. 

"  Have  him  arrested.  Somebody  call  a  police- 
man. It 's  a  shame  that  these  great,  strong  men 
should  try  to  rob  children,"  exclaimed  an  ex- 
citable old  man,  in  a  voice  that  attracted  sev- 
eral loungers. 

Seeing  that  a  crowd  was  forming,  and  that 
every  soul  in  it  would  testify  against  him,  Con- 
Ion,  elbowing  his  way  out,  started  down  Sixth 
Avenue,  the  fat  woman  and  the  old  man  follow- 
ing him  a  little  way,  accompanied  by  a  part  of 
the  crowd,  all  breathing  vengeance. 

After  this  repulse,  more  bitter  than  ever,  he 
continued  his  half-desperate  walk,  crossing  into 


AN1  EVENING  AT  THE  BATTERY.  249 

Broadway  again,  and  this  time  going  down  town. 
The  happiness  that  he  had,  for  the  moment, 
hoped  to  find  in  assisting  another  had  not  come, 
and  too  proud  to  try  again,  he  moved  on  with 
his  head  down,  his  lips  tightly  closed,  and  his 
mind  in  a  ferment  of  conflicting  emotions.  At 
length,  after  a  walk  that  wearied  even  his 
toughened  muscles,  he  found  himself  down  at 
the  Battery,  facing  the  waters  of  the  harbor. 
Certainly  he  could  go  no  farther  in  that  direction, 
and  throwing  himself  upon  a  settdfe,  he  looked 
across  at  the  twinkling  lights  of  Staten  Island. 

Just  in  front  of  him  rose  the  dark  mass  of 
the  Bartholdi  statue,  its  brilliant  torch  all  aglow, 
—  a  little  farther  off  shone  bright  and  clear  the 
light  on  Governor's  Island,  while  far  away  in 
the  Narrows,  the  fire  and  sparks  from  a  puffing 
tug  showed  the  noble  outlines  of  a  great  ship 
slowly  swinging  into  port.  Close  at  hand,  pass- 
ing and  repassing,  were  schooners,  lighters,  tugs, 
and  an  occasional  ferry-boat  of  the  "  Annex," 
that  sent  great  waves  splashing  against  the  sea- 
wall at  his  feet. 

Even  in  the  contemplation  of  this  beautiful 
scene  there  was  no  enjoyment  to  him,  nor  did 
the  cool  breeze  from  the  water  abate  the  fever 
that  raged  within.  At  length  he  stepped  to  a 
convenient  lamp,  and  drawing  a  worn  piece  of 


HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


paper  from  his  pocket,  unfolded  it  and  read,  — 
"  He  is  Thy  child.  Bring  him  into  Thy  peace." 
Again  and  again  he  conned  it  over,  and  finally 
went  back  to  the  bench,  and  kneeling  on  the 
ground,  prayed,  — 

"  O  God,  for  Christ's  sake  forgive  my  sins." 
That  was  all  he  could  say,  but  it  was  enough, 
for  he  asked  it,  believing  that  it  could  and 
would  be  done.  The  struggle  was  over.  The 
stubborn  heaft  that  had  been  so  long  in  rebel- 
lion, although  knowing  the  way  of  life,  was  bro- 
ken, —  and  a  full  surrender  was  made.  And  O  ! 
the  instant,  abundant  peace  that  came  as  a 
balm  into  the  sin-torn  heart,  soothing,  healing, 
sanctifying.  How  it  cooled  the  brain,  and 
calmed  the  throbbing  pulse!  How,  as  with  a 
cleansing  flood,  it  swept  away  the  poison  of  sin 
and  left  the  whole  man  free  and  sweet  and 
clean  ! 

"  Are  you  ill,  sir  ?  "  said  a  hesitating  voice,  as 
a  light  hand  touched  him  on  the  shoulder. 

Conlon  rose,  his  face  full  of  joy,  and  con- 
fronted the  speaker,  who  was  slight  and  girlish 
in  figure,  but  whose  face  and  head  were  so 
muffled  in  a  shawl  as  to  make  it  impossible  to 
tell  whether  she  was  young  or  old. 

"  No,  Miss,  I  'in  all  right,"  began  Conlon,  but 
at  the  sound  of  his  voice  the  woman  uttered  a 


AN  EVENING  AT  THE  BATTERY.  251 

smothered  exclamation  that  was  full  of  horror 
and  pain,  and  turning,  fled  swiftly  away. 

"  I  guess  she  must  know  me  as  I  was.  It  '11 
take  a  long  time  to  live  down  my  record,  but 
with  God's  help  I  '11  try  it,"  said  he  sadly,  yet 
with  a  heart  full  of  the  strange,  sweet  peace 
that  comes  from  sin  forgiven. 

"  Come,  come,  this  is  no  place  to  loaf,"  said 
a  harsh  voice  of  an  officer,  who  had  come  up 
unobserved. 

Conlon  turned  with  such  a  happy,  peaceful 
look,  that  the  policeman  was  puzzled,  and  said, 
hesitatingly,  — 

"  I  thought  you  were  asleep ;  what  are  you 
doing  down  here  at  this  time  of  night  ? " 

"  Well,"  said  Conlon,  simply,  "  I  came  down 
here  a  wretched  rum-seller,  and  found  the  Lord 
Jesus." 

"Bless  ye,  my  brother!"  exclaimed  the  officer, 
seizing  his  hand.  "  You  've  found  the  best 
friend  ever  a  man  had.  Get  a  good  grip  on 
Him,  and  do  n't  let  Him  go,  for  He  is  able  to 
keep  ye,  even  here  in  this  wicked  city  of  York." 

The  happy  man  walked  with  the  sympathetic 
officer  to  the  end  of  his  beat,  which  was  the 
foot  of  the  Battery  station  of  the  Elevated,  and 
with  a  warm  hand-shake  they  parted ;  the  one 
to  take  the  train  up-town,  the  other  to  spend 


252  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

the    night    in    pacing    the    grounds    of    the    little 
waterside   park. 

Conlon  was  not  a  man  to  hide  his  light  under 
a  bushel,  and  it  was  but  natural,  although  a  great 
surprise  to  his  mates  when  he  appeared  at  the 
next  meeting  on  the  Gospel  Common,  and  told 
just  how  he  had  found  the  Saviour.  When  first 
he  began  to  speak,  his  friends,  and  even  the 
missionary,  had  believed  that  there  was  to  be 
some  reckless  harangue  that  would  inaugurate 
disorder,  but  his  earnest  bearing  and  words  soon 
undeceived  them,  while  his  simple  faith  and 
happiness  brought  tears  to  many  eyes. 

At  the  factory  the  next  morning  the  men 
made  excuses  to  run  into  the  fire-room  or  the 
engine-room  many  times,  just  to  get  a  look  at 
the  new  convert,  but  the  fact  that  he  was  still 
as  muscular  as  of  yore  kept  them  from  troubling 
him  with  scornful  questions,  for  they  did  not 
feel  at  all  sure  that  he  was  not  as  ready  to 
defend  his  new  faith  by  a  "  shoulder  blow,'*  as 
he  had  been  to  stand  up  for  his  various  errors 
in  times  past. 

For  several  days  all  went  well.  C}nlon  at- 
tended to  his  work  as  faithfully  as  ever,  but  in 
a  quiet  peaceful  way  that  amazed  the  lookers 
on.  Instinctively  the  convert  felt  that  for  the 
present  the  most  powerful  sermon  he  could 


AN  EVENING  AT  THE   BATTERY.  253 

preach  to  the  boys,  would  be  a  silent  one, — a 
sermon  full  of  deeds,  rather  than  words.  So  he 
worked  on,  and  neither  chewed,  drank,  nor 
swore.  A  state  of  affairs,  however,  when  he 
was  to  have  no  outside  temptation  brought  to 
bear  upon  him,  that  could  not  long  continue. 

The  turbulent  element,  and  it  existed  even  in 
the  Harlem  mill,  soon  found  that  he  was  not 
subject  to  the  old-time  temper  fits ;  and  once 
assured  of  this,  the  fear  that  he  might  resent 
any  interference  with  his  new  belief  by  a  resort 
to  violence  left  their  minds,  and  they  began  to 
throw  little  temptations  in  his  way.  Nothing 
was  easier  or  apparently  more  natural  than  to 
tell  one  another  in  his  hearing  of  the  frolics 
that  they  were  enjoying,  —  doing  their  best  to 
lay  special  stress  on  the  parts  that  they  knew 
appealed  to  his  weakest  points,  and  doing  all 
this  when  the  foreman's  back  was  turned.  Very 
closely  was  he  watched  as  these  tales  were 
told,  and  it  was  with  wicked  glee  that  several 
noted  the  fact  that  he  had,  on  one  or  two  oc- 
casions,  turned  pale  and  shut  his  lips  with  an 
expression  that  denoted  pain. 

"  He  can't  hold  out  much  longer,"  said  one 
of  his  tormentors.  "I  know  by  his  looks  that 
he  is  just  burning  up  for  need  of  a  good  drink, 
and  a  chaw  of  terbacker  would  be  ez  sweet  e» 


254  HER   OPPORTUNITY 


honey  to  him.  I  bet  five  dollars  I  can  fetch  him 
within  the  week  ! " 

The  wager  was  accepted,  and  the  man  made 
his  preparations  to  carry  out  his  plan.  He 
chose  the  time  when  Conlon  was  "  working " 
the  engine,  just  before  starting  up.  As  it  was 
situated  some  little  distance  from  the  boiler, 
there  was  considerable  "  condensation  "  formed, 
much  of  which  by  awkward  piping  was  run 
through  the  cylinder.  This  made  it  incumbent 
on  the  engineer  to  work  it  out  carefully  before 
the  great  machine  was  fully  under  way,  lest,  a 
sufficient  amount  of  water  getting  between  the 
piston-head  and  the  cylinder-head,  the  latter 
be  blown  out. 

Conlon  knew  the  danger  of  this  well  enough, 
and  had  always  been  especially  careful,  allowing 
nothing  to  interrupt  him  when  starting  up.  He 
was  in  the  midst  of  this  work  when  the  tempter 
came  up  behind  him,  and  thrust  a  plug  of  tobacco 
which  had  been  soaked  in  whiskey  in  his  face, 
almost  resting  it  on  his  lips,  as  he  said, — 

"  Have  a  chaw  of  a  new  kind,  old  boy ;  it 's 
the  best  I  ever  struck.  Bite  off  a  crumb." 

The  smell  of  the  weed,  of  which  he  had  been 
so  passionately  fond,  coupled  with  the  fumes  of 
the  liquor,  almost  unnerved  Conlon  ;  but  with 
ical  grit,  and  an  agonized  prayer  for  help,  he 


AN  EVENING  AT  THE  BATTERY.  255 

shut  his  teeth  hard  together  and  kept  at  his 
work.  How  gladly  would  he  have  given  ten 
years  of  his  life  for  one  "  chew "  of  the  weed ! 
But  he  had  heartily  prayed  for  help,  and  help 
came,  as  it  always  has,  and  always  will,  and 
even  with  the  plug  held  close  against  his  lips, 
and  its  tempting  fumes  in  his  nostrils,  he  re- 
ceived strength  to  hold  out.  Then  the  hand 
was  removed,  and  the  man  stepped  round  so 
that  he  almost  faced  Conlon,  saying,  — 

"  Won't   you   try   it,    old   fellow  ? " 

"  No,"   was   the   steady   reply. 

"  Do  you  want  me  tell  you  why  you  won't 
take  it  ? "  continued  his  tormentor,  assuming  a 
most  insulting  attitude,  and  raising  his  voice  so 
that  the  men  who  had  gathered  from  the  fire- 
room  could  hear  every  word. 

There   was   no   reply. 

"  I  '11  tell  you  why.  You  are  a  coward  ;  you 
do  n't  dare  take  a  chaw  of  terbacker  for  fear 
Miss '  Pitcairn  will  smell  it  in  ycr  breath.  She 
talks  about  us  fellows  being  the  slaves  of  rum, 
an'  terbacker,  an'  the  like,  but  I  say  you  are 
her  slave,  and  the  more  fool  are  you." 

Conlon  had  by  this  time  got  his  engine  run- 
ning, so  that  there  was  no  longer  need  of  work- 
ing it,  and  he  stood  up  straight  and  looked 
over  the  crowd  that  had  gathered. 


256  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

"Boys,"  said  he,  "Joe  calls  me  a  coward, — 
a  slave  Have  any  of  you  ever  known  me  to 
take  a  dare,  or  to  be  in  any  way  afraid  of  any- 
thing?" 

"No." 

"  Well,  now,  I  will  tell  you  of  one  thing 
that  I  am  afraid  of.  Joe  is  right.  I  am  afraid 
of  taking  a  chaw  of  terbacker.  I  am  afraid  of 
doing  any  thing  that  will  lead  me  back  to  the 
old  life.  I  am  happy  now,  boys,  and  I  used 
to  be  wretched.  I  believe  my  sins,  and  the 
Lord  only  knows  how  black  they  were,  have 
been  forgiven.  The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  has 
cleansed  me  from  sin,  and  now  I  am  his  ser- 
vant. O,  boys,"  —  the  speaker's  voice  broke,  and 
there  was  an  answering  sob  in  at  least  one 
brawny  throat.  "Why  can't  we  all  stop  killing 
ourselves  and  doing  wrong,  and  turn  round  and 
do  what  is  right  ?  I  've  tried  both  ways,  and 
I  declare  to  you  that  I  never  knew  what 
happiness  was  until  this  week.  I  've  dipped  into 
r»ll  sorts  of  sin,  God  forgive  me,  and  tried 
every  thing  that  is  called  fun,  and  to-day,  if  I 
had  all  of  Vanderbilt's  money  offered  me  to  go 
again  into  the  old  life,  I  would  say  no.  Boys, 
don't  shut  yer  he-arts  to  such  a  chance  for 
happiness  as  this,  without  trying  it.  Jesus 
Christ  died  to  swe  is  all.  He  knows  that  we 


AN  EVENING  AT  THE  BATTERY. 


are  sick  of  ourselves,  that  even  when  in  drink 
and  trying  our  best  to  have  a  good  time,  we 
are  not  satisfied.  O,  boys,  let  Him  have  a 
chance." 

The  crowd  dispersed  slowly,  and  Joe,  after  a 
hard  struggle  with  himself,  came  up  and  said 
huskily,  — 

"Con,  I'm  just  in  need  of  what  you  de- 
scribe. I  did  n't  honestly  think  it  could  be 
found  in  this  world.  I  know  you  well  enough, 
old  man,  to  be  sure  that  you  would  n't  have 
any  make-believe  about  this,  and  although  I  'm 
an  ignorant  feller  about  pious  things,  I  'm 
willing  to  learn  about  them  if  you  '11  teach  me, 
and  I  should  n't  wonder  if  some  of  the  rest  of 
the  gang  would  come  in  on  the  same  deal  if  it 
pans  out  well." 

There  was  no  mistaking  the  earnestness  of 
the  speaker,  and  Conlon  thanked  the  Lord  that 
the  worst  one  among  his  tormentors  had  been 
vanquished  and  brought  to  the  foot  of  the 
cross.  With  more  than  brotherly  love  he  wel- 
comed him,  and  though  but  a  novice  himself, 
was  able  to  point  him  to  the  Saviour,  and  ere 
long  Joe  Sayles  was  rejoicing  in  hope,  and 
eager  to  tell  the  ghd  news  of  salvation. 

News  of  the  movement  among  the  men  in 
her  factory  was  soon  brought  to  Miss  Pitcairn, 


25 3  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

and  although  they  were  but  few  in  number,  as 
compared  with  the  girls,  she  felt  that  her 
prayers  were  answered  by  their  conversion,  and 
that  even  if  the  Van  Alstyne  Manufacturing  Co. 
proved  a  financial  failure,  the  saving  of  souls 
like  Conlon's  and  Sayles',  was  positive  success. 


A  NEGLECTED  CORNER. 


XVII. 

e/i  Jr;cqlecfc<a. 


WHILE  unhappy  Tom  Betteredge  was  plan- 
ning to  burn  the  "  Corner  house  "  and 
break  up  the  Mission,  his  niece  Lucy  was  pro- 
jecting a  scheme  that  should  help  build  it  up. 
Naturally  a  precocious  child,  her  life  at  the 
Governor's  developed  her  powers  very  rapidly,  and 
she  drank  in  knowledge  as  a  sponge  absorbs 
water,  —  indeed,  so  fast  did  she  learn,  that  her 
governess  was  afraid  that  she  would  overdo  and 
injure  herself,  which  fear  might  have  been  rea- 
sonable were  it  not  apparent  that  the  little  girl 
was  thriving  physically  as  well  as  intellectually. 
When  first  she  had  appeared  at  her  present 
home  she  was  thin  and  pinched,  to  a  degree 
that  it  made  one's  heart  ache  to  look  at  her, 
—  but  within  three  months  she  had  gained  flesh, 
color,  and  shape,  and  was  now  quite  pretty 
Her  manners,  too,  were  wonderfully  improved  ; 
she  could  enter  a  room  gracefully,  and  was  as 
much  at  home  at  a  dinner  of  several  courses 


2(X>  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

as  she  had  formerly  been  when  she  had  dined 
on  a  crust.  Very  proud  was  she  of  the  fact 
that  she  had  improved  since  she  came  under 
the  tuition  of  her  governess,  and  was  so  punc- 
tilious about  what  minor  points  of  etiquette  she 
knew,  her  actions  filled  the  genial  master  of  the 
house  with  constant  food  for  mirth. 

The  ruling  passion  of  this  queer  bit  of  hu- 
manity was  to  be  exactly  like  Miss  Belle,  and 
child-like,  her  impatience  to  reach  this  climax  at 
once,  was  always  manifest. 

Of  the  many  callers  at  the  home  of  her 
guardian,  she  saw  but  few;  as  yet  those  who 
did  notice  the  child  thought  her  a  relative,  — 
greatly  to  her  delight.  Even  Stanley  Armitage, 
on  the  occasion  of  one  of  his  calls,  had  met 
her  in  the  hall  and  stopped  with  his  fascinating 
smile  to  win  her  friendship.  In  this,  however, 
he  was  unsuccessful,  for  the  child  suddenly  grew 
very  dignified  and  backed  off,  her  large  eyes 
full  of  reserve. 

"  Do  n't  you  like  Mr.  Armitage,  Lucy ? "  in- 
quired Belle,  afterward  recalling,  the  scene. 

"  I  do  n't  think  I  do.  He  is  so  sure.  It  is  n't 
a  proper  thing  for  a  gentleman  to  be  so  sure 
that  young  ladies  will  like  him,"  was  the  wise 
response. 

This   dignity   on    the    part   of    the    child   was   a 


A  NEGLECTED  CORNER.  26 1 

source  of  much  enjoyment  to  the  Governor,  but 
sometimes  led  the  little  one  into  acts  she  had 
better  have  put  off -until  her  years  equalled  her 
aspirations. 

Aside  from  Belle  the  usual  sharer  of  her  con- 
fidences was  Mr.  Chick,  who,  as  a  relative,  was 
often  present  and  always  welcome  at  the  guber- 
natorial mansion.  It  was  to  this  good-humored 
little  man  that  Lucy  developed  a  plan  that  she 
had  for  mission  work,  that  should  rival  Miss 
Pitcairn's.  The  objective  point  was  the  "Wedge," 
and  the  class  of  persons  with  whom  she  meant 
to  labor,  were  some  whom  she  believed  had 
been  sadly  neglected. 

She  had  broached  her  plan  in  this  manner. 
Mr.  Chick  had  been  relating  for  the  hundredth 
time  his  adventure  in  "Pie  Alley,"  and  the  child 
had  been  listening  eagerly,  calling  the  various 
newsboys  by  name,  and  explaining  how  many 
times  she  had  been  to  the  same  place  for  food, 
when  she  suddenly  broke  in  with  the  astounding 
proposition,  — 

"  Say,  Mr.  Hen,  I  beg  pardon,  I  mean  Mr. 
Chick,  why  can't  you  and  I  start  a  mission 
among  the  newsboys  ? " 

"  O,  but  they  would  n't  come  into  any  mission. 
Mr.  Thomas  has  tried  it,  and  they  just  would  n't," 
said  he,  in  dismay. 


262  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


"They  would  come  for  me,"  replied  Lucy, 
stoutly.  "  Do  n't  you  s'pose  if  I  told  Teddy 
Timmins  to  go  any  where  he  would  go  ?  Ain't  I 
give  him  —  I  mean  haven't  I  give  him  —  I  mean 
haven't  I  given  him  —  cold  beans  when  he  was 
starving  ?  And  there 's  Bobby  Ames,  and  Franz 
Dinkelspeil  and  his  sister,  and  lots  more  that  I 
know  better  than  I  do  you,  —  come  ?  I  guess 
they  would  be  absolutely  enchanted  to  come." 

"  Well,  what  can  we  do  when  we  get  them 
into  a  mission  ? "  was  the  dubious  query. 

"In  the  first  place  we  will  give  them  a  good 
nice  'spread.'  Plenty  of  oyster  stew,  and  pie, 
and  milk,  —  I  guess —  " 

"  Where  is  the  money  coming  from  for  this 
feast  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Chick. 

"  From  our  pocket-books.  What  we  own  is 
only  held  in  trust  to  be  used  for  the  good  of 
others.  We  are  only  Stewarts,"  was  the  pious 
reply. 

"  O,  I  did  n't  know  but  that  we  were  Vander- 
bilts,"  said  her  companion. 

"No,  we  are  only  Stewarts,  the  minister  said  so 
last  Sunday,  and  it  is  our  privilege  to  assist  in 
this — in  this " 

"Infelicitous  pandemonium,"  supplied  Mr.  Chick. 

"  Is  that  what  it  is  ? "  asked  Lucy,  suspiciously. 

"  That 's   what    I    should   name   it." 


A  NEGLECTED   CORNER.  263 

"  All  right,  to  assist  in  this  —  infelicitous  pan- 
demonium," continued  the  little  girl.  "Now  I 
have  got  twenty  dollars  saved  up,  and  you  ought 
to  have  some  money,  so  do  n't  you  see  we  could 
get  Mrs.  Thomas  to  let  us  have  the  front  room 
right  over  the  Mission  ?  It  is  empty  now,  and 
we  could  borrow  some  tables  and  chairs  from 
down  stairs,  and  have  things  fine  for  the  boys." 

"  How   are   you   going   to   invite   them  ? " 

"  I  guess  the  best  way  would  be  to  call  Teddy 
Timmins  up  here,  and  get  him  to  tell  the  rest, — 
or  stop,  I  '11  write  a  note  to  each  of  them." 

Thus  it  happened  that  Mr.  Chick  was  in- 
veigled into  a  plan  that  was,  to  his  mind,  of 
doubtful  propriety ;  and  yet  as  he  had  given  his 
word  not  to  tell  of  it  to  any  one,  it  was  im- 
possible for  him  to  get  help,  either  from  Belle 
or  her  parents.  He  had  argued  with  Lucy  as 
to  the  advisability  of  admitting  Miss  Pitcairn  to 
this  plan,  but  on  this  point  the  child  was  firm. 

"No,  indeed,"  she  said,  "she  feels  perfectly 
capable  of  persecuting  her  religious  endeavors, 
and  so  do  I.  When  I  am  really  successful  I 
will  march  up  before  the  Governor  and  the  rest, 
with  a  lot  of  poor  little  boys  and  girls,  and  say, 
'  Here  am  I,  and  the  children  that  thou  hast 
given  me.'  ' 

Such  argument  was  more  than   Mr.  Chick   could 


264  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

stand,  so  he  submitted  with  what  grace  he 
could  muster.  At  the  command  of  this  preco- 
cious juvenile,  he  enticed  Teddy  Timmins  up  to 
the  back  gate,  where  he  recognized  Lucy  in 
great  amaze,  and  heard  the  story  of  her  new 
home.  When  he  knew  that  she  was  to  furnish 
him  and  his  companions  with  a  "  pie  spread," 
his  delight  manifested  itself  in  a  sudden  hand- 
spring that  the  little  girl  watched  with  great 
complacency.  He  promised  to  come  the  next 
day  and  get  the  notes  that  had  been  more 
than  the  young  missionary  could  get  ready  at 
such  short  notice,  even  with  Mr.  Chick's  help. 

One  part  of  this  strange  project  that  did  not 
displease  Mr.  Chick,  was  the  manner  in  which 
Mrs.  Thomas  received  the  news.  He  had  a  pro- 
found respect  for  the  opinions  of  this  lady,  who 
was  doing  such  a  good  work  among  the  people  at 
the  "Wedge,"  and  he  knew  her  to  be  thorough]}' 
practical  in  all  that  she  did  or  said.  Her  ap- 
proval of  Lucy's  idea  was  emphatic,  and  as  she 
promised  to  be  near  by  to  see  that  every  thing 
was  ready,  as  well  as  to  engage  a  cook  to  make 
the  oyster  stew,  he  felt  there  was  a  chance  for 
the  supper  to  be  a  success.  The  lady's  eyes 
twinkled,  as  she  had  been  told  that  it  was 
Lucy's  own  idea,  and  that  she  was  so  particu- 
lar that  Miss  Pitcairn  should  not  be  told  of  it. 


A   NEGLECTED   CORNER.  26$ 

"  I  am  not  $;ure  that  I  blame  her,"  she  ex- 
claimed. "  No  one  asks  her  advice  about  the 
management  of  affairs  clown  here,  and  the  little 
one  feels  that  having  lived  here  she  knows 
some  of  the  needs  of  the  place.  Perhaps  she 
can  teach  the  rest  of  us  a  lesson.  Let  her  go 
ahead.-  I  would  say  God  bless  the  effort  of  a 
child,  just  as  soon  as  I  would  of  a  grown 
person." 

The  preparations  went  on,  the  day  came  round, 
and,  obedient  to  request,  Mrs.  Thomas  called  at 
the  Governor's  and  received  permission  to  take 
Lucy  to  a  meeting. 

At  first  it  was  not  deemed  advisable  by  Mrs. 
Pitcairn,  —  Belle  being  away  for  the  evening;  but 
she  was  so  eager  to  go,  and  the  missionary 
pleaded  so  earnestly,  that  consent  was  finally  ob- 
tained. 

The  ride  to  the  "  Wedge "  was  without  event, 
and  on  their  arrival  they  found  a  motley  crowd 
of  boys  and  girls  about  the  door,  who  drew 
back  abashed  as  the  nicely  dressed  child,  ac- 
companied by  the  missionary,  appeared  among 
them.  But  she  did  not  give  them  time  to  be 
frightened,  for  she  said,  cheerily,  — 

"  Hullo,  Teddy,  —  hullo,  Sally,  —  why,  here  's 
Jimmy  Gluts.  Throw  away  that  stub,  you  silly 
boy,  —  hullo,  Franz,  how  is  the  paper  trade  ? 


266  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

Remember  when  I  gave  you  some  to  start 
with  ?  " 

This  off-hand  and  eminently  natural  way  of 
greeting  her  former  companions  was  what  was 
needed  to  make  them  at  ease,  and  was  re- 
sponded to  by  a  chorus  of  hullos  and  reminis- 
cent sentences  that  came  in  a  perfect  jumble 
of  words  and  phrases. 

Admission  to  the  room  was  secured  by  invi- 
tation notes  instead  of  tickets,  yet  this  rule 
was  by  no  means  arbitrary,  for  there  were  many 
wistful  faces  outside  the  door  that  were  familiar 
to  Lucy,  and  all  were  admitted  until  there  was 
room  for  no  more.  Once  seated  before  the 
steaming  stews,  how  the  little  fists  carried  great 
spoonfuls  to  the  ready  mouths  !  When  before 
had  any  of  these  youngsters  enjoyed  a  feast 
like  this?  —  a  genuine  oyster  stew  with  crackers 
by  the  half-bushel. 

After  the  keen  edge  of  their  appetite  was 
taken  off,  came  a  piece  of  pie  for  each,  and  a 
glass  of  milk.  What  a  royal  good  time  the 
little  people  had,  and  how  the  look  of  content- 
ment that  should  always  accompany  the  hearty 
meal  of  childhood,  spread  over  the  sharp,  rest- 
less faces ! 

Lucy  sat  down  and  ate  with  the  rest,  and 
more  than  one  by  stealthy  sidewise  look  saw 


A  NEGLEC7'ED   CORNER.  26/ 

how  she  crumbled  her  crackers  into  the  stew, 
noticed  that  she  did  not  gulp  or  smack,  and  in 
a  half-awkward  manner  imitated  her.  When  it 
came  to  the  pie,  however,  she  was  the  only 
one  who  found  use  for  a  fork.  The  rest  were 
perfectly  satisfied  with  the  ancient  way  in  vogue 
before  forks  were  made. 

During  the  meal  there  were  a  few  accidents, 
some  slopping,  and  an  embryo  fight  between  two 
boys  who  had  a  little  falling  out ;  but  the  fat 
cook  wiped  up  the  little  pools  of  stew  that 
stood  on  the  table,  and  Mrs.  Thomas  in  her 
smiling  way  settled  the  dispute  before  the  boys 
actually  came  to  blows. 

After  all  had  been  satisfied  and  the  dishes 
were  removed,  they  had  a  sing.  The  tunes 
were  not  all  of  a  religious  character,  although 
"  Hold  the  Fort "  went  well,  and  "  America " 
was  known  to  a  few.  Then  Mrs.  Thomas  read 
them  a  story  that  was  at  once  simple  and  in- 
teresting, and  Mr.  Chick  recited  a  funny  poem 
that  made  them  all  laugh.  The  next  thing  on 
the  programme  was  something  that  neither  Mrs. 
Thomas  nor  Mr.  Chick  was  at  all  sure  would 
be  wise.  It  was  nothing  more  or  less  than 
Lucy's  speech. 

"  Boys  and  girls,"  she  began,  "  you  all  know 
me,  don't  you?" 


268  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

"Yes,"  came  in   a  chorus,  sudden  and    startling. 

"  An'  you  all  remember  how  I  used  to  be 
hungry,  and  barefoot,  and  ragged  ? " 

"  Yes,"  came  again  with  extra  vim,  accompa- 
nied by  a  few  "you  bet  we  do's." 

"  An'  how  I  used  to  sell  papers  sometimes, 
even  if  the  big  boys  did  lick  me,  an'  how  Mrs. 
Tarpy  used  to  cuff  me  when  I  went  by  her 
door?" 

"  Say,  I  hit  old  Tarpy  in  the  jaw  with  a 
rotten  tummatus,"  called  out  a  black-eyed  urchin, 
and  in  an  instant  the  whole  alert  crowd  was  in 
a  roar  of  laughter. 

Lucy  stood  perfectly  quiet  until  the  room 
was  still,  and  then  said,  — 

"  Any  of  you  boys  must  n't  talk  while  I  am 
speaking.  It  is  n't  polite. 

"Now,  as  I  was  saying,  I  was  just  the  same 
as  the  rest  of  you,  when  Miss  Pitcairn  found 
out  that  this  house  belonged  to  me,  and  that 
my  folks  had  left  me  some  money.  So  I  had 
to  go  -away  to  learn  about  things  that  I  did  n't 
know ;  but  I  have  n't  forgotten  you  boys  and 
girls,  and  I  do  n't  want  you  to  forget  me.  Next 
Sunday  I  am  coming  down  here  with  some 
books,  and  want  you  all  to  meet  me  in  this 
.room  at  three  o'clock.  Will  you  come?" 

"  Yes,"    came   in   full    chorus. 


A  NEGLECTED   CORNER.  269 

"Thank  you,  that's  all,"  said  Lucy,  stepping 
down  from  the  chair  on  which  she  had  been 
standing,  and  slipping  up  to  the  side  of  Mrs. 
Thomas  with  her  first  appearance  of  shyness. 

There  was  a  tendency  among  the  little  Arabs 
to  stand  around  and  stare  at  their  former  play- 
mate, and  some  of  the  girls  were  greatly  exer- 
cised about  the  texture  of  her  dress,  and  the 
beauty  of  a  little  breast-pin  she  wore ;  but  the 
kindly  cook,  seeing  that  all  was  over,  began  to 
pilot  them  to  the  door,  and  soon  all  were  out- 
side. 

"Was  every  thing  recherclitl"  inquired  Lucy 
quickly,  when  the  last  guest  had  disappeared. 

"  Extremely,"  replied  Mr.  Chick,  venturing  a 
wink  at  Mrs.  Thomas,  whose  eyes  were  dancing 
with  fun.  "  I  do  not  see  how  any  thing  could 
be  more  so." 

"  I  'm  so  glad ;  such  a  work  revolves  great 
responsibilities,  but  I  guess  we  shall  be  able  to 
do  them  good,"  said  Lucy. 

"  Dear  heart,  I  guess  so,  too,"  said  the  mis- 
sionary, kissing  her  good-night,  and  consigning 
her  to  the  care  of  ubiquitous  Mr.  Chick. 

The  next  day  after  her  lessons  were  ended, 
Lucy  sought  out  Miss  Pitcairn,  and  hung  round 
with  wistful  expression,  until  the  young  lady 
noticing  it,  said,,  — 


27O  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

fc 

"  Lucy,  dear,  if  you  were  n't  such  a  big  girl, 
I  should  ask  you  to  come  and  sit  on  my  knee, 
and  tell  me  what  you  have  been  doing." 

"  I  suppose  it  would  be  devisable  to  acquaint 
you  with  my  new  enterprise,"  said  the  child 
carefully,  choosing  the  largest  words  in  her 
vocabulary. 

Mrs.  Pitcairn,  sitting  in  the  recessed  window 
of  the  next  room,  heard  the  reply,  and  in  her 
low,  sweet  voice,  said,  — 

"  Come  in  here,  dears,  and  let  me  also  know 
what  the  new  enterprise  is." 

So  they  went  in,  and  Lucy  took  her  place  on 
the  broad  arm  of  the  easy  chair,  a  place  of 
honor  which  she  never  assumed,  except  when 
expressly  invited  to  do  so,  and  Belle  sat  down 
on  .an  ottoman  at  her  mother's  feet.  Then  the 
child  with  great  fervor  told  the  whole  of  the 
tale  of  the  supper  for  the  newsboys  and  girls  of 
the  East  Side,  not  neglecting  her  speech,  nor 
one  iota  of  the  scenes  that  would  be  of  inter- 
est. As  she  finished,  Mrs.  Pitcairn  placed  her 
beautiful  hand  over  the  childish  fingers  with  a 
very  loving  touch,  saying,  — 

"I  am  so  glad  that  our  little  Lucy  is  not 
growing  up  selfish.  Do  what  you  can,  dear,  for 
these  children,  and  remember  that  the  wisest  of 
us  can  net  accomplish  any  thing  without  help 


A  NEGLECTED  CORNER.  271 

from   above.      Do    not    forget   to   pray    for   them, 
as   if   they    were   your   own    brothers    and   sisters." 

As  for  Belle,  she  kissed  the  little  missionary, 
and  gave  her  a  hearty  embrace,  accompanied  by 
a  look  that  spoke  volumes  of  praise  for  the 
genuine,  unselfish  effort. 

An  hour  later  Belle,  in  the  little  hexagonal 
room  that  commanded  so  fine  a  view  of  the 
avenue,  was  sitting,  and  watching,  and  thinking. 
Of  late  her  pondering  had  been  chiefly  upon 
the  welfare  of  her  many  protegees ;  yet  with  all 
her  thought  she  resolutely  put  aside  all  worry; 
nay,  she  determined  to  be  happy  whether  or  no 
her  plans  were  successful.  That  was  why  she 
was  sitting  doing  nothing,  when  she  felt  that 
letters  should  be  written,  and  the  work  of  a 
month  done  in  a  day.  At  first  for  one  so  en- 
thusiastic, and  possessed  of-  so  much  executive 
ability,  this  self-repression  had  been  irksome;  but' 
she  had  happily  hit  upon  the  expedient  of  plan- 
ning ahead  each  day's  work,  and  so  systematizing 
it  that  it  would  move  smoothly  and  allow  time 
for  recreation,  and  even  for  quiet,  restful  medita- 
tion. 

As  she  pondered,  her  eye  caught  a  tiny  dog 
that,  down  in  the  street  among  the  stately 
horses,  was  barking,  and  jumping,  and  having  a 
glorious  time.  He  was  evidently  a  cur  of  low 


2/2  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


degree,  who  playing  the  truant:  from  some  hum- 
ble back  yard,  determined  to  frolic  with  the 
best  in  the  city.  From  his  neck  dangled  a  rope, 
its  frayed  end  covered  with  mud,  constantly 
getting  under  his  feet,  and  tripping  him  up. 
A.s  the  carriages  rolled  past  more  than  one 
dignified  coachman  cut  at  him  with  his  whip, 
sometimes  eliciting  a  yelp  from  the  happy  cur, 
but  more  often  missing  him  altogether.  Even 
•vhcn  hit  the  pain  was  soon  forgotten,  and  he 
was  as  ready  as  ever  to  bark  at  the  next  car- 
riage, or  to  attempt  the  reckless  feat  of  seizing 
the  flashing  wheel  spokes.  This  last  seemed 
such  exciting  fun  that  he  could  not  desist  frcrr. 
it,  and  many  a  narrow  escape  did  he  have  as 
he  thrust  his  snub  nose  so  close  to  the  whirling 
wheels. 

Among  the  carnages  were  many  light  vehicles 
drawn  by  pretty  pairs,  hitched  tandem  or  abreast, 
belonging  to  the  bachelor  class.  Professor  Buck- 
ingham's was  numbered  among  them,  and  his 
athletic  figure,  erect  as  if  on  dress  parade,  drew 
many  an  admiring  look.  There  was  another, 
however,  on  whom  many  looked  with  greater 
admiration,  not  because  he  was  any  finer  look- 
ing, perhaps,  but  because  of  his  great  wealth, 
and  that  was  Stanley  Armitage.  Mounted  on  a 
powerful  black  horse,  of  whom  in  spite  of  re- 


A  NEGLECTED   CORNER.  2?$ 


bellious  eye  and  fretful  step  he  was  absolute 
master,  he  made  a  fine  appearance,  and  .who 
shall  say  he  was  not  aware  of  it  ? 

The  Professor  was  not  self-conscious  on  this 
particular  afternoon,  for  he  was  mentally  con- 
versing with  one  who  had  of  late  been  occupy- 
ing a  considerable  portion  of  his  thought.  He 
was  not  a  man  easily  influenced  by  feminine 
charms,  although  in  his  way  something  of  a  so- 
ciety man;  yet  there  had  been  a  something  in 
Miss  Pitcairn's  manner  of  speaking,  a  depth  in 
her  eyes,  a  strength  in  her  manner,  that  had 
more  than  riveted  his  attention, —  it  had  made  him 
bow  in  instinctive  homage.  His  acquaintance 
with  her  was  not  a  recent  one,  for  the  two  fam- 
ilies had  been  for  years  on  terms  of  intimacy; 
DU'"  in  the  past,  while  he  acknowledged  the  young 
\a>»v  t  beauty  and  accomplishments,  there  had 
bcc^  Peking  the  broad  charity  that  is  the  chief 
gw"  o>  the  perfect  woman.  Now  it  had  come. 

Ljo^iK'-nty  slipping  from  girlhood  into  woman- 
hood, fair,  talented,  beloved  by  all,  this  crown 
had  been  laid  on  her  brow,  and  the  Professor 
in  his  clay-dream  even  while  driving  up  the  av- 
enue saw  her  not  in  the  window  looking  down 
upon  him,  but  saw  her  in  his  mind's  eye,  a 
vision  of  beauty. 

As   he   drove   on,    turning    out   mechanically   for 


274  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

those  whom  he  encountered,  the  vagrant  dog 
attacked  first  his  horses,  and  then  snapped  fran- 
tically at  the  slender  wheels.  The  spokes  were 
flashing  faster  than  he  knew,  for,  poor  fellow, 
the  fore  wheel  caught  the  rope,  and  before  he 
could  free  himself  the  hind  wheel  passed  over 
him,  leaving  him  writhing  on  the  pavement, 
while  the  Professor,  immersed  in  happy  dreams, 
drove  away  ignorant  of  the  catastrophe. 

The  little  creature  lay  in  agony,  and  Belle, 
full  of  sympathy,  was  about  to  hurry  out  to  its 
aid,  when  Armitage,  who  had  been  coming  from 
the  opposite  direction,  sprang  from  his  horse  and 
throwing  the  bridle  over  his  arm,  stooped  over 
the  muddy  little  heap.  The  rope  had  knotted 
itself  round  the  fore-leg,  and  he  knelt  right  in 
the  .dust  and  cut  it  carefully  away.  As  he  did 
so  the  dog  licked  his  hand  and  tried  to  get  up, 
but  fell  back  moaning.  A  moment  later,  just  as 
two  gorgeous  footmen  had  been  despatched  to 
his  assistance,  by  a  wildly  horrified  dowager 
whose  carriage  had  been  near  at  the  time  of 
the  accident,  Armitage  rose  and  mounting  his 
horse,  the  dog  in  his  arms,  rode  away.  He  did 
not  n:ake  a  fine  spectacle,  with  his  riding-jacket 
smeared  with  mud,  and  the  unkempt  dog  across 
his  saddle,  except  to  one  pair  of  eyes,  and  it 
was  for  that  pair  that  he  did  the  deed. 


A  NEGLECTED  CORtfER.  2/5 

Miss  Pitcairn  had  seen  it  all,  and  the  young 
man  with  his  keen  self-control  had  appeared  un- 
conscious that  he  was  any  where  near  the  Gov- 
ernor's mansion,  or,  indeed,  that  he  was  any 
where  but  in  a  country  road  with  no  one  in 
sight ;  and  skillful  actor  that  he  was,  the  impres- 
sion that  he  desired  had  been  produced.  When 
he  reached  home  he  gave  the  dog  in  care  of  his 
hostler,  with  the  charge  that  he  have  the  best 
treatment  possible.  He  considered  him  a  valuable 
piece  of  property,  for  would  he  not  be  to  Miss 
Pitcairn  a  reminder  of  the  brutality  of  one  ad- 
mirer, and  the  remarkable  tender-heartedness  of 
another  ? 

The  week  after  this  episode  Mrs.  Armitage 
sat  in  the  same  room  from  which  Belle  had 
seen  it,  and  both  of  the  lovely  women  were 
looking  again  upon  the  passing  carriages. 

As  before,  the  Professor  drove  by,  and  Mrs. 
Armitage,  seeing  him,  bent  her  pretty  brows  into 
an  indignant  frown,  exclaimed,  — 

"The   brute!" 

"  Who,    dear  ?  "    said    Belle,    in    surprise. 

"  That  cold  Professor  Buckingham.  I  always 
supposed  that  any  man  would  feel  badly  over 
the  sufferings  of  an  animal,  but  he  is  perfectly 
heartless." 

"  Why,   what   do   you   mean  ? " 


HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


"  Last  Tuesday  I  went  over  to  my  cousin's 
and  found  him  nursing  a  dog  that  was  about 
the  most  forlorn  specimen  I  have  ever  seen,  yet 
it  seemed  to  think  the  world  of  Stan.  The 
creature  had  a  broken  leg,  and  was  suffering  ter- 
ribly, and  would  allow  no  one  to  touch  him  but 
Stanley.  I  asked  him  how  it  happened,  and  he 
answered  as  savagely  as  possible  that  it  did  n't 
happen,  —  that  it  was  done  purposely;  and  that 
was  all  he  would  say,  but  I  could  see  that  he 
was  dreadfully  angry.  I  supposed  one  of  the 
hostlers  had  done  it  in  a  fit  of  brutality,  and 
as  he  would  n't  talk  I  went  home  again." 

The  lady  paused  and  looked  out  of  the  win- 
dow, interested,  for  the  moment,  in  a  passing 
"tally-ho." 

"  Go   on,   dear,"    said   Belle,    in   a  low   voice. 

"  The  next  day  Mrs.  Van  Brunt  called  and 
described  the  whole  scene  to  me.  It  seems  that 
she  was  driving  down  the  avenue  and  saw  Pro- 
fessor Buckingham  coming,  his  head  in  the  air 
with  that  cold  reserve  that  I  fancy  he  prides 
himself  on.  As  he  came  opposite  her  a  little 
dog  sprang  at  his  team  and  snapped  at  the 
wheels,  just  in  play,  and  that  cold-blooded  crea- 
ture drove  calmly  over  him  and  left  him  with 
a  broken  leg.  Stanley  came  along  just  then  and 
took  him  home." 


A  NEGLECTED  CORNER.  2/7 

"  It  was  very  shocking,  I  saw  it  all,"  said 
Belle.  "  I  am  sure  the  Professor  did  not  intend 
to  hurt  the  dog,  but  I  do  n't  see  how  he  could 
drive  away  and  leave  it  suffering.  I  was  so 
glad  that  Mr.  Armitage  came  along  then,  and 
took  pity  on  the  poor  little  creature.  It  was  a 
very  manly  act,  and  I  was  proud  that  I  knew 
him." 

"  His  heart  is  as  tender  as  a  woman's,"  said 
Mrs.  Armitage,  with  a  gratified  look. 


278  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


XVIII. 

y  IF.  Biffe.rjrjojjW 


s 


§IG  TOM  had  set  his  fire,  where,  according 
to  his  belief,  there  could  be  no  doubt  of  its 
destroying  the  hated  Faith  Mission,  and  thus 
affording  him  a  measure  of  revenge  for  his 
many  fancied  wrongs.  When  the  flames  first 
began  to  curl  through  the  pile  of  "  bundle-wood," 
that  comprised  the  stock  in  trade  of  the  humble 
fuel  merchant,  it  did  indeed  seem  as  if  the 
wooden  building  known  as  the  Betteredge  house 
was  the  only  one  in  danger,  and  yet,  in  God's 
Providence,  it  so  happened  that  this  was  far 
from  being  the  case.  The  single  fact,  overlooked 
by  the  incendiary,  that  changed  the  aspect  of 
affairs  so  materially,  was  that  in  the  brick  wall 
of  the  brewery  was  a  window.  It  was  not  ap- 
parent to  the  casual  observer,  for  in  papering 
the  wall,  the  wood-dealer  had  covered  it  over, 
yet  there  it  was,  the  lower  sill  flush  with  the 
floor,  the  upper  sash  reaching  almost  to  the 
roof  of  the  shanty. 


MR.  DITTENHOFFER'S  LEASE.  2 79 

When,  therefore,  the  pile  of  kindling  had  got 
fairly  started,  it  began  to  topple  and  finally  fell 
with  a  crash  against  the  hidden  window,  and 
breaking  through,  precipitated  a  mass  of  fire- 
brands into  the  basement  of  the  brewery.  Thus 
in  an  instant  the  whole  aspeci  of  affairs  was 
completely  changed,  —  the  most  of  the  fire  was 
in  the  brewery,  for  what  remained  in  the  kin- 
dling shop  burned  weaker  and  weaker  until  all 
that  remained  of  -  it  was  a  few  smouldering 
brands. 

The  heap  that  had  fallen  through  the  window 
fared  almost  the  same  and  would  doubtless  have 
burned  itself  out  without  harm,  had  not  a  por- 
tion of  it  come  in  contact  with  a  small  pile  of 
hay  thrown  there  for  the  team  horses.  This  it 
ignited  and  consumed,  and  then  began  again  to 
die  out.  When  little  was  left  but  a  heap  of 
ashes,  hiding  a  few  glowing  coals,  a  single 
slender  tongue  of  flame  reaching  out  caught  at 
a  wisp  that  lay  farther  along  the  floor,  and 
from  this  to  another,  flashing  up  for  an  instant 
and  then  dying  out,  it  crept  nearly  the  length  of 
the  room  to  the  foot  of  a  small  elevator  made 
of  dry  pine  sheathing,  and  there  it  paused  and 
settled. 

With  a  soft,  caressing  movement  it  licked  the 
smooth  face  of  the  boards,  creeping  from  the 


28O  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

front  round  to  the  back,  stealthy,  cat-like,  feeling 
for  a  spot  where  it  might  catch  a  death-hold.  At 
length  its  seeking  was  successful,  for  on  the  far- 
ther side  was  a  wide  crack,  and  here  the  flame 
entered,  and  catching  on  the  dry  pine  shelves, 
feeding  on  the  pitchy  knots,  it  at  length,  grow- 
ing strong  and  bold,  climbed  to  the  next  story. 
Once  there  it  spread  out,  and  slipping  under 
the  office  door,  lapped  the  varnish  off  the  chair- 
legs,  consumed  the  straw  matting,  multiplied 
itself  and  climbed  the  shellacked  partitions,  spread 
into  other  rooms,  reached  the  top  story,  and  by 
the  time  a  frightened  watchman  rang  in  an 
alarm  it  had  so  strong  a  hold  on  the  whole 
building  that  nothing  could  save  it. 

The  splendid  fire  department  responded  to  the 
alarm  on  the  instant,  and  as  if  by  magic  the 
streets  were  filled  with  engines,  hose  carriages, 
ladder  trucks,  and  all  the  paraphernalia  of  the 
modern  city  fire. 

When  the  ax-men  sprang  up  to  open  a  way 
for  the  hose,  the  strong  gusts  of  wind  almost 
swept  them  from  the  ladders,  and  entering  the 
burning  building  flung  the  flames  to  and  fro  in 
waves  that  were  irresistible  in  their  fierce  heat. 
Stream  after  stream  was  turned  in  the  blaz- 
ing mass  from  engine  and  water  tower,  but 
without  apparent  effect  until  the  roof  fell,  and 


MR.  DITTENHOFFER' S  LEASE.  28 1 

then  they  had  all  they  could  do  to  keep  the 
neighboring  tenements  from  sharing  the  fate  of 
the  brewery. 

Among  the  excited  spectators  at  this  fire  was 
a  German,  who  waddled  about  the  engines, 
whenever  the  police  would  permit,  wringing  his 
hands  and  offering  unlimited  beer  if  only  his 
place  might  be  saved.  It  was  Dittenhoffer, 
the  lessee  of  the  brewery. 

"  Great  himmel !  vy  do  n't  you  been  at  vork," 
he  exclaimed  to  the  chief  engineer,  who  was 
standing  watching  with  keen  eye  the  progress 
of  the  flames.  "  Mein  seven  tousand  bushels 
of  malt  vas  in  dere  already.  It  vill  get  burned 
up  all.  Ach,  I  vas  ruined !  I  vas  ruined ! " 

Another  in  the  crowd  who  stood  apart  with 
frightened  stare,  the  perspiration  gathering  in 
great  drops  on  his  forehead,  was  "  Big  Tom." 
This  was  his  work,  but  how  it  had  miscarried ! 
Dittenhoffer  was  his  friend,  and  had  "backed" 
him,  resisting  the  aggressions  of  the  temperance 
faction,  and  now  he  had  been  the  means  of 
luining  him.  Was  there  ever  such  ill  luck? 
As  he  glanced  uneasily  about,  he  saw  the 
missionary  standing  near  an  engine,  looking 
at  the  fire  with  a  face  so  full  of  peace  that 
he  could  not  stand  it,  but  with  a  curse  fled 
the  scene. 


282  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

The  news  of  the  conflagration  came  to  Belle 
in  the  morning  paper,  and  it  was  without  great 
sorrow  that  she  announced  it  at  the  breakfast 
table.  The  Governor  looked  grave. 

"  I  am  afraid  it  will  be  a  serious  loss  to 
Crittenden,  unless  he  has  lately  insured  the 
building,  for  he  told  me  not  more  than  a 
month  ago  that  he  was  canryirig  but  a  light 
insurance  on  every  thing." 

"  O,  I  hope  not,"  said  Belle,  at  once  sobered 
"But  at  all  events  he  will  not  think  of  put- 
ting another  brewery  in  its  place,  will  he?" 

"Here  he  comes  up  the  walk;  he  can  best 
answer  that  question,"  replied  the  Governor, 
who  occupied  a  position  that  in  the  breakfast 
room  gave  him  a  view  of  a  part  of  Fifth 
Avenue,  and  also  of  the  street  that  ran  by  a 
side  of  his  mansion.  Coming  so  early  in  the 
day,  it  was  in  order  to  sit  down  to  breakfast, 
which  Mr.  Crittenden  did,  saying  over  a  cup  of 
•  coffee,  — 

"Your  friend's  last  argument  is  a  clincher, 
Miss  Belle.  I  am  ready  now  to  treat  with 
your  manufacturer." 

"And  you  won't  put  up  another  brewery?" 
asked  Belle,  delightedly. 

"No,  I'm  afraid  it  would  burn  down,"  said 
the  other,  with  a  roguish  look. 


MR.  DITTENHOFFER'S  LEASE.  283 

"One  moment,  please,"  said  the  Governor. 
"  What  do  you  call  the  last  argument  ? " 

"  Why,  last  night's  fire  ! "  said  the  gentlemen, 
jovially.  "I  told  my  wife  when  the  messenger 
came  to  me  that  I  had  been  expecting  a  real 
knock-down  argument  from  some  of  Thomas' 
crowd." 

At  this  juncture  Mr.  Crittenden  suddenly 
paused,  aware  that  he  was  confronted  by  a 
young  iady  whose  flashing  eyes  were  more  terri- 
fying than  any  thing  he  had  recently  expected. 

"I  —  I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  stammered.  "  But 
no  harm  has  been  done.  The  property  is  more 
than  covered.  No  one  loses  any  thing,  and  I 
assure  you  I  have  nothing  to  say." 

"Papa,  will  you  excuse  me,"  said  Belle,  very 
pale,  as  she  swept  from  the  room,  leaving  Mr. 
Crittenden  overwhelmed  with  mortification. 

"Well,  I'm  sure,  what  have  I  done  now?" 
gasped  the  man,  appalled  by  visions  of  domes- 
tic storms,  should  there  be  a  break  with  the 
Governor's  family. 

"  You  have  accused  my  daughter's  friends  of 
being  the  instigators  of  the  brewery  fire,"  said 
the  Governor,  with  a  calmness  in  which  there 
was  the  least  shade  of  contempt. 

".But  all  is  fair  in  war,"  said  Mr.  Crittenden, 
weakly,  and  at  once  aware  of  the  enormity  of, 


284  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


his   offense.      "  I   am   sure    Miss    Belle   must   hava 
known    I   was   merely  joking." 

"  Certainly,"  said  the  Governor,  with  the  same 
icy  blandness.  "It  was  but  a  jest, — a  poor 
one,  ot  course;  but  only  a  joke,  for  no  sane 
man  could  conceive  of  earnest  Christians  in  any 
way  countenancing  the  crime  of  incendiarism." 

"Certainly  not,"  assented  Mr.  Crittenden,  wip- 
ing the  perspiration  from  his  brow. 

"And  as  you  are  evidently  in  a  hurry,  I  will 
take  it  upon  myself  to  tender  your  profuse 
apologies,  that  the  unfortunate  joke  should  have 
been  attempted,"  continued  the  gentleman. 

"  Thank  you,  thank  you,  I  'm  sure  I  fully  ap- 
preciate your  kindness,"  ejaculated  the  other, 
bowing  himself  out,  and  hurrying  off  in  a  fever 
of  conflicting  emotions,  the  most  prominent  of 
which  was  that  he  had  hopelessly  "put  his  foot 
in  it,"  when  he  had  called  simply  to  say  that 
he  would  now  let  the  manufacturer  have  any 
sort  of  building  that  he  might  need. 

"  Papa,  how  could  any  one  conceive  so  cruel 
a  charge  ? "  said  Belle,  her  beautiful  eyes  full  of 
tears  as  she  met  the  Governor  in  the  hall 
after  the  departure  of  the  guest. 

"  My  darling,  only  a  man  who  would  stoop  to 
wrong  doing  himself  would  think  of  such  a 
thing.  Even  he  does  not  believe  it  now,  I  am 


MR.  DITTENHOFFER*S   LEASE.  285 

assured.  I  am  sorry  he  called,  for  he  has  made 
you  unhappy." 

To  turn  again  to  the  scene  of  the  fire.  There 
remained  of  the  brewery  only  a  steaming,  smok- 
ing mass  of  timbers,  vats,  barrels,  and  machin- 
ery. By  degrees  the  heat  died  out  of  the 
smouldering  beams,  the  warped  and  twisted  iron, 
until  it  was  possible  for  any  who  did  not  fear 
the  contamination  of  the  blackened  wood  to  ven- 
ture about  in  search  of  salvage.  Many  there 
were  who  availed  themselves  of  this  opportunity 
to  get  a  stock  of  fire-wood,  such  as  they  had 
not  possessed  for  many  a  long  day.  Almost  all 
of  the  children  in  the  vicinity  of  Bruges  Street, 
who  had  homes  of  any  kind,  could  be  found 
here  tearing  off  half-burned  clapboards,  and  even 
combining  their  strength  to  secure  planks  and 
some  of  the  smaller  rafters.  Their  occupation 
during  the  week  proclaimed  itself  on  Sunday,  for 
there  were  few  in  the  Mission  classes  but  had 
a  suspicious  line  of  grime  under  their  eyes,  or  a 
darker-complexioned  neck  than  cheek. 

In  one  way  their  industry  was  a  general  ad- 
vantage to  the  "  Wedge " ;  the  great  unsightly 
heap  was  diminishing,  and  the  time  would  soon 
come  when  there  would  not  be  left  enough  kin- 
dling for  an  ordinary  bon-fire. 

Mr.    Dittenhoffe.r,    after  the    fire   had   swept   his 


286  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

business  away,  appeared  to  be  completely  dis- 
couraged. He  made  no  attempt  either  to  induce 
his  landlord  to  rebuild,  or  to  transfer  his  inter- 
ests to  other  fields.  Most  of  his  days  were 
spent  in  walking  up  and  down  Bruges  Street, 
smoking  a  long,  German  pipe,  and  gloomily 
watching  the  wood  gatherers  as  they  carried  off 
the  remains  of  his  brewery. 

It  was  during  one  of  these  walks  that  he  en- 
countered Mr.  Crittenden,  who  had  slipped  over 
there  from  his  office  to  have  a  look  at  the 
debris,  and  to  plan  for  a  new  building. 

"  Good   morning,    Dittenhoffer  !  " 

"  Goot   morning,"   was   the   gloomy   response. 

"  I  suppose  you  are  anxious  to  have  a  new 
building  put  up  here,  that  your  business  may  go 
on,  —  as  soon  as  the  insurance  is  adjusted  ? " 

"  I  do  n't  dink  I  vill  do  any  more  peesiness 
already." 

"What   is   the   matter?" 

"  I  vas  most  blayed  oudt.  De  oder  brewers 
has  got  mine  beesness,  and  mine  gustomers  vas: 
all  gone,"  said  the  German,  puffing  sadly  at  his 
pipe. 

"  Well,    but   you   have   a  lease   of    this   place." 

"  Yes,  and  I  vas  going  to  give  it  oop  to  you 
already." 

This  suited   the  other  so  well  that  he  proposed 


MR.  DITTZNHOFFER'S  LEASE.  287 

that  they  go  at  once  to  the  brewer's  home  and 
have  that  part  of  the  business  settled  without 
further  parley.  On  his  way  back,  the  gcod  man 
in  a  moment  of  enthusiasm  over  the  thought 
that  he  might  thus  gain  a  friend,  imparted  to 
Professor  Buckingham,  whom  he  met,  the  fact 
that  the  place  was  again  in  his  hands,  adding 
earnestly,  — 

"  My  next  tenant  shall  be  one  whose  business 
is  clean  and  respectable,  one  that  can  be  under 
the  fear  of  the  Lord," 

"  I  think  you  can  find  such  a  tenant  in  the 
person  of  the  manufacturer  of  whom  Miss  Pit- 
cairn  spoke  to  you,"  remarked  the  Professor. 

"Very  well,"  replied  he,  somewhat  surprised 
that  the  other  knew  of  the  affair.  "  Very  well, 
I  will  put  up  a  factory  that  shall  be  a  model 
of  its  kind,  and  it  shall  be  pushed  right  along, 
too,  as  soon  as  the  papers  are  drawn. 

"  If  you  wish,  I  will  bring  the  agent  of  the 
manufacturer  down  for  an  introduction  at  once, 
and  have  the  affair  arranged. 

"  I  should  be  delighted,  I  am  sure,"  was  the 
answer,  as  he  took  his  leave,  his  face  suffused 
with  gratified  smiles. 

That  afternoon  as  Mr.  Crittendcn  returned 
from  lunch  he  found  waiting  for  him  in  his 
outer  office  a  powerfully  built  man  of  rough  ap- 


288  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


pearancc,  who  introduced  himself  as  the  repre- 
sentative of  a  Liquor  Dealers'  Federation,  whose 
headquarters  were  on  Van  Alstyne  Street. 

"  What  can  I  do  for  you,  sir  ? "  asked  the 
church  treasurer,  in  a  tone  of  deep  reproof  that 
such  a  man  should  presume  to  call  upon  him. 

"  Let  me  see  you  alone  for  ten  minutes  ? "  was 
the  gruff  reply. 

Mr.  Crittenden,  after  a  moment  of  thought, 
motioned  him  to  enter  his  private  office,  where 
the  stranger  flung  himself  into  an  easy  chair, 
saying,  directly,  — 

"  I  have  come  about  Dittenhoffer's  lease  of 
your  place  on  Bruges  Street." 

"  That  lease  was  cancelled  and  destroyed  this 
morning,"  was  the'  reply. 

"  I  know  all  that,  but  what  I  want  is  a  lease 
of  the  land  to  erect  a  building  that  shall  be 
pretty  near  what  the  old  brewery  was,  only 
better." 

"  What  is  your  offer  ?  "  inquired  the  other,  dal- 
lying with  temptation. 

The  man  named  a  sum  that  made  Mr.  Crit- 
tenden's  eyes  sparkle  with  longing,  but  he  said, 
reluctantly,  — 

"You  are  too  late,  my  word  has  been  given 
that  a  factory  shall  have  the  place." 

"  Well,   sell   us    the    land.      We    will    give    you 


MR.  DITTENHOFFER''S  LEASE.  289 

more  than  it  is  worth,  twice  over,  just  for  the 
sake  of  defeating  those  total-abstinence  fools  that 
are  spoiling  the  business  in  that  section.  Hark 
you,  old  roari.  It  was  through  that  Pitcairn  fac- 
tion that  1  was  beaten  out  of  the  finest  piece 
of  property  in  the  '  Wedge,'  and  I  'm  bound  to 
have  my  revenge  for  it." 

"  Is  not  your  name  Betteredge  ? "  was  the  in- 
terested query. 

"That's  just  my  name,  and  I  can  put  a  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars  of  good,  lively  rum  money 
into  the  fight,  so  you  had  better  get  what  you 
can  !  " 

"  I  can't  sell  the  land,  it  belongs  to  my  chil- 
dren," acknowledged  the  other. 

"  Well,  grant  a  lease  then.  When  that  lease 
is  signed  and  delivered,  I  will  make  you  a  pres- 
ent of  a  thousand  dollars  myself.  Come,  is  it 
a  bargain  ? 

"  I  shall  be  forever  disgraced,"  groaned  Mr. 
Crittenden,  looking  with  hungry  eyes  at  the  roll 
of  bills  that  the  rum-seller  held  in  his  hand. 

"  O,  hang  the  disgrace !  Lie  out  of  it.  Swear 
that  you  were  sick,  and  your  son  drew  up  the 
papers  without  knowing  that  you  were  opposed 
to  the  plan.  Say  what  you  please,  that  we 
tricked  you,  lied  to  you,  any  thing,  but  sign, 
and  sijrrt  now  !  " 


HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


With  trembling  hand  the  tempted  man  took 
up  a  pen,  when  the  office-boy  announced,  — 

"  Somebody   to   see   you,    sir  !  " 

"It's  Professor  Buckingham  and  his  friend!" 
gasped  Mr.  Crittenden.  "  You  must  not  be  seen 
here,  —  wait  a  minute,  boy.  Here,  Betteredge, 
step  into  this  room  and  stay  until  they  leave, 
they  wont  be  here  long.  Boy,  where  are  you  ? 
tell  the  gentlemen  to  come  in." 

The  burly  guest  was  hurried  very  unwillingly 
into  the  cramped,  closet-like  room,  and  bowing 
and  smiling,  although  with  white  lips  and  tem- 
bl'ng  knees,  Mr.  Critterwien  received  his  callers. 


SATAN'S  RECORD  EXAMINED. 


XIX. 

s  I\ec0pa 


§UZZ  —  BUZZ  —  BUZZ  went  the  busy  throng 
of  scholars  at  the  Faith  Mission,  in  that 
curious,  undulating  monotone  that  betokens  for- 
getfulness  of  self  and  interest  in  some  common 
topic.  To  many,  in  fact  to  most,  who  entered 
this  place  to  study  the  Sabbath  lesson,  there 
was  in  it  a  genuine  novelty.  In  the  hands  of 
the  faithful  teachers  who  had  been  secured  it 
was  fresher,  and  newer,  and  more  pleasing  even 
than  the  theatres  that  had  so  often  absorbed 
their  hardly-earned  money.  To  be  sure  there 
were  uneasy  and  restless  children  in  the  school; 
there  were  boys  who  would  drop  every  thing 
for  a  fight,  and  swear  a  big  oath  from  habit, 
but  little  by  little  these  firebrands  were  placed 
among  the  less  combustible  material,  and  often- 
times by  the  side  of  a  muscular,  young  Christian 
teacher,  who  did  not  scruple  at  once  to  stop 
trouble  by  an  iron  grasp,  or  even  a  kindly 
shake. 


HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


Conlon  had  in  due  time  become  a  teacher, 
and  strangely  enough  was  the  meekest  of  the 
lot,  and  possessed  of  the  most  patience  with 
the  wayward  ones.  Perhaps  he  felt  that  if  jus- 
tice had  been  meted  out  to  him  when  he  was 
so  aggressively  inclined  that  he  would  have 
never  reached  his  present  stage  of  happiness, 
and  so  thinking,  had  not  the  heart  to  be  severe 
with  those  who  were  simply  doing  in  a  less  de 
gree  what  he  had  so  long  indulged.  Be  that 
as  it  may,  he  was  patient  and  long-suffering, 
and  the  boys  who  made  up  his  class  loved  him 
more  than  they  could  express. 

This  school  being  Miss  Belle's  particular  pro- 
ject, and  so  carefully  ministered  to  in  a  mone- 
tary way  by  her,  was  likely  to  be  her  objective 
point  on  many  a  Sunday  afternoon.  The  teachers 
and  scholars  although  not  aware  how  much  they 
owed  this  lovely  young  lady,  one  and  all  liked 
her,  and  it  was  admitted  that  no  one  who  had 
ever  been  within  the  doors  had  her  faculty  for  so 
gently  and  thoroughly  subduing  refractory  children. 

On  this  Sabbath  Miss  Pitcairn,  who  had  come 
down  and  occupied  the  visitor's  seat  until  the 
opening  exercises  were  over,  went  up  the  nar- 
row aisle  toward  the  desk  to  speak  with  the 
superintendent,  a  young  grocer,  who  was  a  re- 
cent convert,  and  a  fine,  honest,  young  fellow. 


SAYAN'S  RECORD  EXAMINED,  293 

As  they  talked  Conlon  left  his  class,  and  join- 
ing them  held  out  his  hard  hand,  saying, — 

"  Miss  Pitcairn,  you  gave  me  such  good  ad- 
vice when  I  first  came  to  the  Mission  that  I 
have  come  for  more." 

The  bright  smile  that  greeted  him  emboldened 
him  to  continue,  — 

"  Praps  you  do  n't  remember  it,  but  when  I 
was  wild  I  was  a  leader  among  the  men  in 
your  mill,  —  knew  them  all  well,  and  had  their 
confidence, — but  since  I've  made  this  change  it 
seems  as  if  they  avoided  me.  They  are  pleasant, 
to  be  sure,  but  I  can't  get  them  to  come  down 
here  if  I  died  for  it,  and  as  for  making  them 
talk  on  the  subject  of  religion  they  won't  do 
it,  and  that 's  all  there  is  about  it.  Now  I  'm 
just  burdened  for  these  men.  I  've  prayed, 
many 's  the  night,  pretty  nigh  till  morning,  and 
seems  as  the  Lord  meant  to  answer,  only  the 
matter  was  with  me.  I  do  n't  doubt  but  that 
He  is  pointing  out  some  course  of  action  fur 
me,  and  I  'm  so  blind  that  I  jest  pass  it  by 
and  go  on  my  own  blundering  way." 

Conlon's  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  his  broad 
chest  heaved  with  emotion. 

"  Have  you  tried  walking  home  after  work 
with  any  one  of  them,  and  talking  till  he  was 
interested  ? "  inquired  the  young  lady. 


294  ffER  OPPORTUNITY. 


"  That 's  just  what  I  have  done.  I  've  laid 
for  them  in  all  directions,  and  made  excuses  to 
see  then  alone,  and  all  that.  I  did  n't  want  to 
talk  on  the  subject  before  the  crowd  and  make 
'em  ashamed,  but  it  ain't  no  use,  they  dodge 
out  of  the  way  and  do  n't  give  me  no  chance 
at  all." 

"Perhaps,"  said  Belle  thoughtfully,  "the  Lord 
wants  you  to  speak  to  them  when  they  are 
all  together.  Certainly  we  are  not  commanded 
to  wait  till  we  can  find  one  soul  alone  before 
we  speak  of  Christ's  love.  It  may  be  more 
natural  many  times  to  hesitate  about  speaking 
before  a  company,  but  it  may  do  more  good 
in  the  end." 

"  I  'm  not  sure  but  your  right,  Miss,"  replied 
Conlon,  a  look,  of  distress  coming  over  his 
face.  "  But  I  am  so  awkward  a  speaker  that 
I  'm  afraid  the  boys  will  laugh  at  me.  If  I 
could  talk  like  Mr.  Thomas,  now,  they  would 
listen  and  enjoy  it,  but  for  me  to  try  to 
teach  a  half-dozen  of  'em  at  once,  why,  it 
makes  me  shiver." 

With  a  thoughtful  face  the  engineer  went 
back  to  his  class,  and  sitting  down  among  the 
boys  took  up  again  the  lesson  of  the  day. 
After  the  session  was  over  he  went  home,  took 
the  keys-  of  the  engine-house  from  their  hook, 


SATAN'S  RECORD  EXAMINED.  295 

and  started  for  Harlem.  It  had  been  his  custom 
when  he  wished  to  be  alone  to  lock  himself  in 
the  engine-room,  and  to  pray  himself  into  a 
proper  mood  for  doing  his  duty.  Since  the  talk 
with  Miss  Pitcairn  he  was  well  assured  what  he 
ought  to  do,  but  the  trouble  was  he  shrank 
from  it  with  an  unaccountable  dread. 

On  gaining  his  oily  sanctum  he  locked  the 
door,  and  kneeling  by  the  side  of  the  engine, 
his  forehead  resting  against  the  cool,  steel  cylin- 
der, he  prayed  long  and  earnestly. 

While  he  knelt,  thus  struggling  for  victory, 
there  came  to  the  window  back  of  him  a  white 
face  that  gazed  long  and  passionately  at  him, 
and  then  disappeared  as  suddenly  as  it  came. 
Unconscious  of  the  woman's  face,  or  her  strange 
look  when  she  saw  him  keeling,  Conlon  had  at 
last  risen  full  of  peace,  and  strength,  and  calm 
exaltation,  and  gone  quietly  home. 

The  next  day  he  did  not  haunt  the  solitary 
workers,  with  yearning  looks  that  they  did  not 
comprehend,  but  was  bright,  cheery,  and  chatty 
to  all,  and  by.  his  ordinary  behaviour  made  him- 
self more  of  a  companion  than  he  had  been 
for  some  time  past. 

At  noon,  when  most  of  the  men  took  their 
dinners  into  the  fire-room,  instead  of  sitting 
alone  in  his  sanctum  and  reading,  or  striving  to 


296  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

talk  with  his  reluctant  assistant,  he  took  his 
dinner  pail  out  with  the  rest.  His  old  place 
had  been  on  a  short  piece  of  timber  that,  pro- 
truding from  the  foundations  of  the  building, 
afforded  a  good  seat.  This  he  took  without  a 
word,  and  it  was  yielded  as  his  right. 

"  It  beats  the  devil  how  natural  it  seems  ter 
have  you  out  here,  old  chum,"  said  one  cordially. 

Conlon   laughed   with   satisfaction. 

"  My  feelings  have  always  been  just  the  same 
toward  you  fellers,"  he  said,  "only  it  does  seem 
kinder  queer  to  hear  Dick  say,  it  beats  the 
devil,  for  that 's  what  I  've  been  trying  hard  to 
do  for  a  long  time  past." 

"Do  you  believe  that  there  is  such  a  man  as 
him  ? "  inquired  Dick,  boldly,  feeling  a  sort  of 
security  in  the  presence  of  the  crowd. 

"Certain  I  do,  I  think  he's  just  as  much  of 
a  person  as  I  be,"  said  Conlon,  decidedly,  "of 
course  he  ain't  exactly  a  man,  but  he " 

"  Gits  there  jest  the  same ! "  interrupted  one 
of  the  younger  men. 

"Yes,  he  does  get  there  pretty  often  without 
any  doubt,  and  its  a  mighty  pity  too,  ain't  it, 
now,  boys  ? "  continued  the  engineer. 

"  Praps  so,"  said  Dick,  "  but  I  'm  not  sure 
that  there  is  such  a  person  at  all.  It  seems 
ter  me  that  the  things  a  man  does  are  jest  the 


SATAN'S  RECORD  EXAMINED.  29? 

natural  deviltry  in  him  —  that  is  working  out. 
It 's  as  the  feller  said,  '  only  the  froth  on  the 
beer.'  " 

"  Well,  I  do  n't  know  as  there  is  any  way 
but  for  you  to  prove  what  you  say  from  out 
the  Bible," 

"  Me  ? "  said  Dick.  "  I  do  n't  own  such  a  book, 
—  but  I  usted  to  hear  my  old  father  say,  either 
that  there  was,  or  else  there  was  not,  a  pussonal 
devil  —  I  disremember  which,  but  it 's  my  be- 
lief that  it 's  only  an  idee,  and  when  it.  comes 
ter  that,  I  would  n't  be  afraid  ter  bet  that  yer 
Bible  would  back  me  up  in  it." 

The  speaker  looked  triumphantly  about  as  he 
went  on  eating  his  lunch,  and  the  other  men 
nodded  in  solemn  acquiescence. 

"  I  do  n't  know  as  much  about  the  Bible  as  I 
mean  to  some  day,"  replied  Conlon,  modestly, 
"  but  I  kin  rec'lect  one  place  where  it  says 
something  that  makes  it  look  as  if  the  devil 
was  real  —  it  says  he  goes  about  like  '  a  roarin' 
lion  seekin'  whom  he  may  devour.' ' 

"  Wai,  now,  there  ye  are  !  Who  has  seen  him 
goin'  round  ?  And  who  has  heard  him  roar  ? " 
asked  Dick. 

This  wakened  the  argumentative  disposition  of 
an  old  Scotchman,  who  said,  — 

"  Roor  ?   I    heard   him   roor  but    last   neet.     Did 


298  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

ye  not  hear  the  tvva  fules  that  were  roorin'  and 
fighting  over  nathing  at  all,  back  of  the  gas 
house  ?  Sure  the  deil  was  devouring  them, 
and  making  them  do  his  roorin'  at  the  same 
time." 

The  sentiment,  odd  as  it  was,  struck  the  fancy 
of  the  audience,  and  was  grimly  applauded. 

"There's  a  trouble  in  getting  at  the  facts," 
said  Conlon,  "when  you  have  to  hunt  through 
a  big  book  like  the  Bible,  for  little  verses  that 
are  scattered  in  hither  and  yon  without  regard 
to  order.  I  've  often  thought  if  such  things 
were  all  in  a  lump  so  that  we  fellers  that 
do  n't  get  much  time  could  get  right  at  the 
bed-rock  at  once,  then  we  would  know  more 
about  these  things." 

"You're  right,  Con.,"  said  Dick.  "More  than 
once,  before  I  left  home,  I  have  taken  the  old 
man's  Bible,  but  there  wuz  so  much  to  it  that 
I  got  discouraged  and  dropped  it  before  I  got 
fur." 

"There's  a  man,  I  forget  his  name,"  said 
Conlon,  "that  made  a  little  book  that  kinder 
lumps  the  facts  in  the  Bible,  and  helps  a  feller 
out  a  heap.  You  see  his  idee  was  to  take  such 
a  word  Is  the  devil  for  instance,  and  begin  at 
the  beginning  of  the  Bible  and  hunt  carefully 
till  he  found  it.  Then  he  took  his  little  book 


SATAN'S  RECORD  EXAMINED.  299 

and  writ  down  the  place  where  it  was  —  then 
he  went  on  careful  like  till  he  found  another 
place  and  noted  that  down.  In  jest  that  keer- 
ful  way  he  went  clean  through  the  book  and 
took  jest  about  every  name  and  word  that  you 
could  think  of.  Then  he  hed  the  book  printed. 
I  seen  one  in  a  store  down  town  the  other 
day  and  I  thought  I  'd  get  it." 

"  Now  that 's  what  I  call  sensible,"  exclaimed 
Dick,  mightily  interested,  "  if  we  had  that  book 
here,  we  could  tell  at  short  notice  whether  or  not 
tnere  was  such  a  thing  as  a  devil.  We  could 
finish  it  up  in  one  hour's  time.  Say,  what  did 
the  book  cost,  old  man  ? " 

"  About  a  dollar  and  a  half,  I  think,"  was  the 
sober  reply,  although  it  veiled  a  most  delighted 
heart. 

"  Come,  boys,  copper  up,  ten  cents  a  piece  all 
round  will  fetch  it,  and  tomorrer  noon  we  will 
have  a  Sunday  School,"  said  Dick. 

With  so  enthusiastic  a  collection  the  money 
was  not  long  forthcoming,  and  when  the  whistle 
blew  for  one  o'clock,  Conlon  had  in  his  hand 
the  price  of  the  book,  and  in  his  heart  a  great 
prayer  of  thankgiving  that  the  "the  boys  were 
already  so  much  interested  in  searching  the 
Scriptures." 

The    next    noon    the    book    was    produced,    and 


300  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

was  passed  from  hand  to  hand,  and  admired  for 
its  "common  sense."  Few  of  them  cared  to  call 
it  a  concordance,  for  it  seemed  better  to  do  as 
did  "old  Murphy":  label  it  a  "kay."  And  the 
name  clung,  although  not  always  spoken  with 
the  Murphy  brogue. 

It  took  two  noons  to  settle  the  question  un- 
der discussion,  and  by  that  time  they  had  learned 
much  about  the  great  enemy  of  mankind.  Jury 
like  they  sat  and  waited  until  the  evidence  was 
all  in,  and  then  one  and  all,  through  their 
foreman,  Dick,  announced  that  Satan  was  a  real, 
living  power,  and  one  that  was  capable  of  doing 
a  vast  deal  of  harm.  The  way  in  which  the 
knowledge  of  this  fact  sobered  the  men  was 
amazing,  and  the  gratification  with  which  they 
noted  what  Conlon  pointed  out,  that  the  devil 
was  to  be  finally  overthrown,  was  like  a  pris- 
oner securing  the  news  of  his  pardon. 

This  question  settled  another  was  started,  and 
ere  long  several  Bibles  belonging  to  the  boiler- 
room  library  were  in  use,  and  every  noon  saw 
the  majority  of  the  men  crowded  in  there  with 
earnest  air  and  listening  ears,  to  hear  the  pas- 
sage.'; read  and  comments  from  the  readers. 

A  couple  of  weeks  of  this  preparation  being 
indulged,  it  seemed  but  a  natural  thing  for  Mr. 
Thomas  to  be  invited  in  to  be  examined  in  hi.% 


SATAN'S  RECORD  EXAMINED  3O1 


knowledge  of  Scripture  by  the  new  students. 
Very  gladly  he  came,  and  acquitted  himself  so 
well,  and  was  so  genial,  bright,  and  interesting, 
that  the  men  voted  for  him  to  come  in  again. 
He  came,  and  the  day  being  Saturday,  and  the 
discussion  not  being  finished,  he  adjourned  to 
Sunday,  when  he  promised  to  have  seats  for 
them  all  at  the  Faith  Mission  and  to  finish  the 
question. 

At  first  there  was  some  slight  demur  at  this, 
but  in  this  democratic  crowd  the  majority  al- 
ways ruled,  and  it  was  decided  to  accept  the 
invitation,  and  to  march  in  a  body  and  occupy 
the  reserved  seats. 

Thus  it  was  that  workers  in  the  machine  room 
were  being  led  in  the  right  wav,  and  were  find- 
ing to  their  surprise  that  it  was  bright,  pleasant, 
and  peaceful. 

Of  course  the  questions  of  temperance  and 
morality  and  others  came  up,  and  were  handled 
without  gloves.  Many  hard  hits  were  given  and 
taken,  for  the  most  part  in  a  manly  way.  Some 
could  not  stand  the  pressure  long,  and  slipped 
out  and  away;  but  others  staid,  and  among  them 
was  Dick  Whitman,  who  surprised  and  alarmed 
his  companions  one  day  by  announcing  that  he 
had  found  the  Saviour. 

The   shock   to   them  was  not,  however,  so   great 


3O2  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


as  it  might  have  been  some  months  before,  as 
all  were  more  or  less  softened,  and  the  Gospel 
truth,  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  seemed  to  be 
piercing  the  armor  of  indifference  that  had  cov- 
ered many  hearts. 

As  for  Conlon,  he  was  very  happy  in  his 
trust  in  God  these  days,  most  of  the  time ;  yet 
occasionally,  when  his  face  was  at  rest,  it  be- 
trayed a  sadness  that  spoke  of  a  secret  heart- 
ache. With  this  hidden  trouble,  whatever  it 
was,  he  did  as  with  all  others  —  rested  it  upon 
the  Lord,  and  while  he  did  not  know  it,  in 
this  instance,  too,  li  ht  was  to  break  in  upon 
him,  and  his  soul  be  filled  with  gladness. 

An  episode,  better  spoken  of  as  a  specia. 
providence,  that  occurred  in  connection  with  the 
work  in  the  stock  room  of  the  box  factory,  and 
that  would  have  been  very  disastrous  had  it  not 
been  for  the  change  wrought  in  the  heart  of 
Dick  Whitman,  was  this :  Moses  Cohen,  in  his 
bitter  disappointment  at  being  removed  from  his 
office  as  private  persecutor  for  the  trust,  had 
not  given  up  all  hopes  of  yet  doing  substantial 
damage  to  the  enterprise  he  so  hated.  The 
officers  of  the  trust,  knowing  his  feelings,  threw 
him  a  tip  in  the  shape  of  a  permission  to  enter 
in  his  mill  any  of  the  help  that  their  agents 
could  coax  away  from  the  Van  Alstyne,  Co., 


SATAN'S  RECORD  EXAMINED.  303 


their  wages  to  be  largely  paid  from  the  general 
fund.  This,  however,  did  not  satisfy  him,  for 
he  wanted  a  sudden  and  sweeping  revenge.  To 
this  end  he  had  secured  the  reckless  and  dissi- 
pated Whitman  to  precipitate  a  series  of  "ac- 
cidents" that  should  strike  terror  into  the  breast 
of  the  "vooman  boss."  It  was  to  arrange  the 
details  of  this  evil  system  that  Cohen  called  at 
the  house  where  the  young  man  lived,  and  as- 
cending the  stairs  to  his  room,  knocked  confi- 
dently. 

"Come   in,"    called   a  hearty   voice. 

"Goot  evening,  mem  friendt,"  said  Moses, 
entering  briskly. 

"It's  you,   is   it?"    was   the   quiet   answer. 

"Of  course  it  vas  me;  an'  midty  glad  to  see 
mein  friendt,  Dick,"  returned  the  caller,  seizing 
Whitman's  passive  hand,  shaking  it  warmly,  and 
then  holding  it  while  he  looked  with  fawning 
admiration  into  the  calm  face  and  deep-set  eyesT 

"Just  return  that,  when  you  get  done  with 
it,"  said  the  young  man,  finally. 

"Return   whadt?" 

"Why,    my   hand;   I  have  tc  use  it   every  day." 

"You  young  feller,"  said  Cohen,  archly,  "I 
nefer  know  what  jokes  you  vill  say  next ;  but 
ledt  us  gedt  to  peesness.  Is  all  ready  for  the 
first  smash  to-morrow  ? " 


304  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

"No." 

"O,    I   forgot;   you   vant   the    money   first?" 

"No." 

"The   mill   aind't    shut   down   that   day,    is   it?" 

"No." 

"Goot  goracious!  why  do  you  say  dot  'No/ 
to  me  as  if  you  shoot  it  oudt  mit  a  gun?  Vot 
was  the  droubles?  Say  somedings  except  no! 
no !  no ! "  suddenly  broke  out  Moses,  unable  to 
control  himself  longer. 

"Listen!"  said  Dick,  suddenly.  "When  I 
agreed  to  your  rascally  proposition  I  was  a 
reckless  fool,  that  did  n't  know  who  my  friends 
were,  and  didn't  care,  and  was  wishing  to  do 
any  thing  for  money ;  but  now  it  is  different. 
I  shall  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  plan." 

"Ah!  you  vant  more  money,  but  you  don't 
get  idt.  I  know  anoder  man,  with  twice  your 
grit,  what  will  be  glad  to  do  the  jobs,"  re- 
turned the  Hebrew,  his  face  crimson  with  rage. 

"Understand  me;  if  any  tricks  are  played  in 
that  mill,  Conlon  and  I  will  make  it  hot,  not 
only  for  the  fellow  who  plays  them,  but  for  you 
as  well!" 

"Does   dot   Conlon   know?"   gasped   Moses. 

"Not  yet;  but  I  shall  tell  nim  if  any  thing 
is  attempted." 

"  You   are   a   drator  !  —  a   turrn-goat !     Dere   ish 


SATAfr'S  KECORD  EXAMINED.  30$ 

not  a  leedtle  bidt  of  a  man  abouclt  you !  I 
know  joost  what  is  der  matter  midt  you  :  some- 
body has  boudt  you ;  likely  that  vooman-boss, 
what  will  fail  in  tree  veeks, — in  a  month.  She 
has  boudt  you,  but  you  will  be  oudt  of  a  job 
soon,  and  no  box  factory  vill  gif  you  vork.  See, 
you  do  what  I  say,  undt  I  vill  gif  you  steady 
job?" 

"No,"    said   Dick,    firmly. 

"  Veil,  I  '11  tell  you  aboudt  dot  Mees  Pit- 
cairn  ;  she  's " 

"Stop!"  thundered  Dick,  reaching  the  door  in 
a  stride,  and  throwing  it  open  with  a  crash. 
"  You  git,  lest  I  lay  hands  on  you,  and  do  n't 
ever  show  your  face,  here  again!" 


306  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


XX. 


]© 


s       ©©rr)<z.p<ar)Gr. 


•77TT  the  corner  of  Van  Alstyne  and  Midnight 
J/&1  Streets  stood  a  large,  square  wooden  house, 
in  the  lower  story  of  which  v/as  a  saloon  and 
"beer  garden."  The  upper  stories,  used  as  flats, 
contained  a  mixture  of  Germans,  Irish,  Swedes, 
and  others  of  foreign  extraction,  who  patron- 
ized the  beer  industry  to  all  appearance  more 
than  they  did  the  bakers  or  grocers.  The  gar- 
den was  open  night  and  day,  with  the  exception 
of  Wednesday  evenings,  when  its  shutters  were 
up,  and  to  the  ordinary  drinker  it  was  closed. 
At  the  same  time  there  were  those  who  on 
this  same  night,  when  there  were  but  few  on- 
lookers, knocked  in  a  peculiar  manner,  and  were 
instantly  admitted.  These  exceptions  were  for, 
the  most  part,  workingmen  by  their  gait  and 
general  appearance,  many  of  them  brawny  fel- 
lows, with  the  broad  backs  and  deep  chests 
of  foundrymen.  Certainly  there  were  fifty  of 
them,  and  perhaps  more,  who  knew  the  "open 


McFADDEN'S  BOOMERANG.  3°7 

sesame "  to  this  darksome  entrance,  and  who 
on  this  particular  evening  of  the  week  stayed 
until  the  ordinary  honest  laborer  had  long  been 
enjoying  his  slumber. 

It  was  in  very  truth  the  club  that  McFad- 
den  had  formed  after  certain  socialistic  ideas  of 
his  own,  and  which  he  believed  would  one  day 
stand  far  ahead  of  the  "  Knights  of  Labor,"  or 
any  of  the  many  brotherhoods  that  have  within 
the  last  four  years  been  so  popular  among 
workingmen.  At  the  meetings,  which  were  always 
well  attended  and  were  more  than  animated,  it 
was  customary  to  begin  by  a  species  of  "  love 
feast,"  when  in  place  of  the  bread  and  the 
water  used  at  that  primitive  and  excellent 
ceremony,  were  substituted  pretzels  and  beer. 
This  had  been  introduced  by  the  German  ele- 
ment in  the  first  place,  but  by  degrees  had 
grown  in  favor,  until  it  was  an  open  question 
if  some  of  the  members  did  not  come  to  enjoy 
the  preface  rather  than  the  succeeding  chapters  of 
the  meeting.  When  the  beer  flowed  freely  the 
discussions  were  very  vigorously  sustained,  but 
if  for  any  cause  the  supply  was  limited  these 
exercises  dragged. 

There  were  among  the  members  many  who 
were  honestly  exercised  about  the  condition  of  the 
working  classes,  and  who  would  sacrifice  much 


308  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

to  benefit  others,  and  it  was  for  this  purpose 
that  they  met  and  weighed  "  Land  Theories," 
"  Anti-Poverty  Societies,"  Socialism,  and  even 
Anarchy.  None  of  the  movements  seemed  to 
this  little  company  just  what  was  needed,  or 
rather  all  of  the  well-known  plans  for  the  amelio- 
ration of  their  condition  had  supporters  among 
them.  McFadden  was  the  leading  spirit,  partly 
because  he  had  started  the  club,  but  more  per- 
haps from  the  fact  that  he  was  a  clear  reasoner 
and  a  man  of  indomitable  will,  —  beside  which 
he  contributed  largely  of  his  money  to  pay  the 
running  expenses. 

One  evening,  after  calling  the  meeting  to 
order,  and  disposing  of  one  or  two  minor  ques- 
tions, the  Scotchman  had  called  upon  any  who 
had  a  word  to  say  on  topics  of  interest  to  feel  at 
liberty  to  speak.  At  this  a  man  who  from  his 
appearance  might  belong  to  almost  any  of  the 
nations  of  northern  Europe,  but  who  spoke 
English  without  accent  of  any  sort,  and  in  a 
voice  that  was  so  harsh  and  loud  that  it  filled 
the  room  with  its  brassy  clamor,  said,  — 

"  Brothers,  when  we  look  around  us  what  do 
we  see  ?  Monopoly  !  monopoly  !  monopoly  ! 
Here  a  gigantic  Oil  Trust ;  here  a  Sugar  Trust ; 
a  Match  Combination ;  a  Rubber  Trust.  On  all 
sides  are  the  capitalists  combining  that  the 


McFADDEN'S  BOOMERANG.  3OQ 

laborer,  the  real  producer,  shall  pay  double 
price  for  his  goods.  The  Coal  Barons  live 
better  than  the  Kings  and  Queens  of  Europe, 
and  their  help  are  more  wretched  than  are 
the  poorest  peasantry  of  the  Old  World.  Who  is 
going  to  stop  this  systematic  oppression  of  the 
poor,  if  not  the  poor  themselves  ?  Brothers,  let 
us  band  ourselves  together  by  even  stronger 
oaths  than  those  of  our  order,  not  to  rest  until 
we  see  the  laborer  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  his 
rights,  and  the  capitalist  and  his  slave-drivers 
swept  out  of  existence  by  a  vengeful  people." 

The  sentiments  of  this  speech  were  much 
more  enthusiastically  applauded  than  was  the 
resume  of  certain  land  theories,  that  a  stou" 
gentleman  in  spectacles,  and  of  an  apologetic 
air,  presented  to  the  audience,  —  the  first  speaker 
glancing  at  him  meanwhile,  and  gulping  his  beer 
as  if  it  were  draughts  of  capitalistic  blood. 

Two  other  speeches  followed,  somewhat  in  the 
vein  of  the  first,  and  the  gratification  of  the  au- 
dience was  showing  itself  in  vociferous  applause 
and  cries  of  "Good,"  "Give  it  to  them,"  "Our 
time  will  come  some  day,"  and  similar  phrases. 
When  the  president  rose  to  his  feet  and,  asking 
O'Toole  to  take  the  chair,  began  to  speak,  it 
had  been  noted  by  some  of  the  observant  that 
he  had  not  that  evening  taken  any  liquor,  —  a 


310  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

most  unusual  thing  for  him,  —  and  .also  that  he 
had  not  shown  whether  he  approved  the  senti- 
ments of  the  various  speakers. 

"  I  've  been  warkin'  over  a  new  phaze  of  So- 
cialism of  the  labor  question,"  he  began. 

"  Good  !  "   shouted   several   voices. 

"  However  the  hyprocrites  an'  capitalists  may 
deceive  themsel'  or  fule  themsel',  we  want  the 
truth ! " 

"  Yes,   we  're   bound   to   have   it,"    called    one. 

"  Druth  vos  -  midty  and  vill  brevail,"  grunted 
a  huge  foundryman,  after  which  he  took  a  long 
drink. 

"  Wherever  we  see  oppreesion  we  raise  our 
hoot  agin  it,  an'  whene'er  we  ken  ain  that 's 
oppreesed  we  strive  to  relieve  him." 

"  Yes !  yes !  every  time,"  came  the  answers, 
with  increasing  enthusiasm. 

"  Our  seempathies  are  wi'  all  those  that  wark 
for  the  buildin'  up  o'  the  puir  and  doon-trod- 
den,  and  the  stern  rebukin'  o'  them  that  breek 
the  laws  o'  reet  and  joostice." 

"That's   it,   go   on." 

"  Noo,  if  I  tal  ye  that  you  all  hae  been 
halping  an  enemy  destroy  the  warking  mon, 
though  ignorantly,  will  ye  quit  e'en  if  it  does 
bring  self-denial?" 

"  We   will,"   came   in   quick   chorus. 


McFADDEN'S  BOOMERANG.  311 

"Every  mon  that  means  that  stand  up,"  said 
McFadden. 

Instantly  the  whole  company  rose  to  their 
feet,  and  the  speaker  continued,  — 

"  At  the  bottom  o'  the  Labor  Question  is, 
to  the  best  o'  my  belief,  the  Temperance  Ques- 
tion. It  is  liquor  that  is  putting  us  doon 
more  than  any  ither  thing  in  the  world.  I 
didna  use  to  think  so,  but  o'  late,  sin*  I  hiked 
up  the  matter  it  frightened  me.  I  hae  struggled 
agen  the  feelin'  day  by  day,  but  it  hae  kep- 
pit  comin'.  I  tal  ye,  lads,  if  we  can  but  get 
shut  o'  the  rum-curse,  we  will  be  a'  reet  and 
prosperous." 

At  first  his  words  had  been  received  in  aston 
ished  silence,  but  recovering  themselves,  the 
men  had  stamped,  and  hissed,  and  shouted,  un- 
til the  old  man's  voice  could  no  longer  be 
heard,  so  he  was  forced  to  stop  and  wait  until 
the  storm  subsided.  O'Toole  in  his  position  as 
chairman  strove  long  to  bring  about  order,  but 
failing,  sprang  down  into  the  crowd,  and  seizing 
the  fire  brand  of  the  enemy,  the  first  speaker, 
by  the  throat,  choked  him  till  he  closed  his 
mouth,  at  which  the  whole  assembly  became 
quiet.  With  a  red  face  the  energetic  "  Modera- 
tor "  picked  up  his  dignity  and  his  office  again, 
and  said,  — 


312  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


"  If  yez  think  that  the  freedom  av  speech  is 
to  be  drowned  by  the  yellin'  av  a  pack  av 
forrinners,  yez  are  mistaken.  The  gintleman  had 
the  flu  re,  and  still  has  it,  and  I,  as  shairman 
av  this  matin',  say  he  shall  be  heard." 

"  Mr.    Chairman,"    said    the    fire    brand. 

"  Air.    McFadden    has  the  flure,"  said    the   chair. 

"  I  will  gie  way  tae  the  mon,"  said  McFadden. 

So  the  other  stood  up,  and  looking  impres- 
sively about,  said,  — 

"  Gentlemen,  there  are  those  who  are  ever 
working  to  promote  liberty  by  taking  aivay  from 
the  laboring  man,  while  common  sense  says 
give,  as  the  rule  for  the  enjoyment  of  liberty. 
As  a  rule,  we  are  hard  workers  ;  we  have 
few  comforts ;  we  grow  old  before  our  time. 
To  use  a  pipe  and  a  glass  o'  beer  are  com- 
forts that  I  will  not  give  up.  They  may  be 
small  things,  but  the  man  who  says  I  shall  not 
sit  down  at  my  table  and  drink  a  glass  ot 
beer,  would  soon  have  the  right  to  say  that  I 
must  not  drink  coffee,  or  eat  bread  of  certain 
kinds.  McFadden  has  been  to  me  as  a  brother; 
to-day,  by  his  words,  he  makes  himself  a 
stranger, — an  enemy." 

The  Scotchman  rose,  when  the  vigorous  ap- 
plause that  had  followed  his  opponent's  speech 
had  died  away,  and  said  slowly, — 


McFADDEN'S  BOOMERANG.  3*3 

"  A  glass  o'  beer  sarves  tae  change  a  mon 
frae  a  brither  tae  an  enemy !  Here  is  a  mon 
sworn  in  every  way  tae  halp  the  laborin'  man, 
an'  when  he  hears  that  liquor  is  spoken  o'  as 
a  deetriment  tae  them,  he  oop  an'  wishes  tae 
kill  some  ain  for  speakin*  disrespectfu'  of  his 
favoreet  drink.  He  is  nae  mon  eneugh  tae 
swear  enmity  tae  what  destroyed  his  ain  hame." 

"You   lie!"  roared   the   angry    man. 

"  Eh,  do  I  lee  ?  What  slew  yeer  wife  but 
French  brandy  ?  Where  are  yeer  twa  lads  that 
suld  be  here  tryin'  tae  halp  a  glide  cause, 
rather  than  rottin'  in  preeson  for  crimes  com- 
meeted  in  drunken  fits  ?  " 

Another  man  flushed  with  drink  suddenly 
sprang  to  his  feet,  and  pointing  a  long  finger 
at  the  speaker  interrupted  him  with  withering 
sarcasm. 

"  And  it 's  you  that  tells  us  this,  is  it  ?  You 
that  formed  this  club,  and  furnished  the  first 
keg  of  beer  ?  You  that  run  a  bar-room  across 
the  street,  where  more  drunkards  have  been 
made  than  in  any  other  in  this  part  of  the 
city?  You  think  that  rum  is  a  curse,  do  you, 
and  want  us  to  stop  drinking  ? " 

The  Scotchman  held  up  his  hand  with  so 
impressive  a  gesture  that  the  angry  tirade 
stopped  for  a  moment. 


OPPORTUNITY. 


"Jeems,"  he  said,  "I'm  a'  that  ye  hae  said, 
ev'n  more.  I  drave  my  am  son  tae  his  death, 
but  noo  I  see  my  wrong,  which  I  dinna  before. 
Noo  I  am  conveenced  that  I  am  in  the  wrong, 
an'  hae  deescharged  my  bar-keeper  to-day,  an' 
stopped  the  sellin'  o'  all  that  's  hurtful." 

"  Bosh  !  "  was  the  impatient  exclamation  of  the 
other.  "Why  didn't  you  find  this  all  out  before 
you  made  twenty  thousand  dollars  out  of  it  ? 
Do  you  hear?  You,  a  Socialist,  are  said  to 
be  worth  twenty  thousand  dollars,  made  from 
your  brethren.  I  tell  you,  brethren,  we  have 
nursed  a  viper  in  our  bosoms.  This  man  is  a 
spy,  a  minion  of  the  capitalists.  Down  with 
him!" 

Inflamed  by  liquor  and  angry  prejudice,  the 
listeners  swept  forward,  and  despite  O'Toole's 
muscular  protest,  caught  McFadden  by  the  coat, 
the  hair,  anywhere  that  a  hold  could  be  obtained, 
and  with  brutal  roughness,  —  with  curses,  blows, 
and  kicks,  —  threw  him  out  of  the  door  into 
the  darkness.  Soon  after,  the  lights  were  ex- 
tinguished, and  the  rest  of  the  assembly  depart- 
ing the  back  way,  left  the  hall  in  sullen 
silence. 

Half  stunned  by  the  rough  treatment,  blinded, 
and  dizzy,  McFadden  picked  himself  up  from 
the  street,  where  he  had  been  thrown,  and 


McFADDEN'S  BOOMERANG. 


limped  painfully  away.  He  had  been  amazed  at 
the  sudden  anger  developed  by  the  members  of 
his  club,  and  even  now  could  hardly  believe 
that  the  choice  spirits  whom  he  had  selected 
could  turn  on  him  with  such  murderous  intent. 
With  bitter  reflections  he  made  his  way  across 
to  the  Cosmopolitan,  and  entering  by  a  side 
door,  went  at  once  to  his  own  room,  where  he 
bathed  his  head,  and  summoning  the  man-of-all- 
work,  ordered  a  bottle  of  brandy. 

"There's  none  in  the  'ouse,  sir;  but  I  can 
fetch  some  from  -  " 

"  Hoot,  mon,  I  maun  be  daft.  I  dinna  want 
any  thing  o'  the  sort.  I  am  sae  bruised  that 
I  dinna  believe  I  ken  my  ain  name." 

The  next  day  the  hotel  proprietor  was  very 
sore  and  kept  his  room,  but  on  the  day  fol- 
lowing he  was  around  at  his  usual  tasks,  and 
to  all  appearance  as  well  as  ever.  The  guests 
of  the  house  looked  at  him  with  more  or  less 
curiosity,  for  the  story  of  his  ill-treatment  and 
its  cause  had  leaked  out,  and  was  going  round 
with  substantial  additions.  O'Toole,  also,  had 
suffered  that  night,  and  advertised  it  by  a  par- 
ticularly conspicuous  black  eye. 

"Eh,  but  I  was  a  fulc  tae  try  tae  help  those 
men,"  said  the  Scotchman  to  his  friend,  in 
private, 


3l6  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

"They  vvor  most  av  thim  drunk,"  was  the 
reply.  "An'  ye  talked  a  thrifle  strong,  any- 
how." 

"Na  mair  so  than  I  meant,"  was  the  positive 
reply. 

"  O,  now,  you  '11  let  the  boys  have  a  drop  av 
the  crathur  now  an"  thin  ? "  said  O'Toole,  with 
wheedling  tone. 

"  Not  a  drop !  I  'm  dune  wi'  it  for  evermair, 
an'  wi'  the  Britherhood,  too !  Any  cause  that  's 
rootid  and  groonden  on  beer  is  bound  tae  be 
fause  tae  the  verra  core.  Did  ye  ken  that  when 
I  proposed  to  stop  furnushine  the  liquor,  the 
Britherhood  deed  ?  I  've  a  mind  tae  teck  oot  a 
patent  for  suppressin'  anarchy  by  confiscatin'  a' 
the  beer." 

As  McFadden  said,  the  Brotherhood  died. 
There  were  one  or  two  more  meetings,  at  which 
there  was  wrangling  and  quarrelling,  and  then 
the  association  went  out  like  a  quenched  candle. 
The  Scotchman  watched  the  dissolution  of  his 
pet  project  with  a  glum  sorrow,  and  consoled  him- 
self by  preaching  his  new  solution  of  the  labor 
question,  which  was  total  abstinence. 


WALL-STREET  WILES.  3 1/ 


XXI. 

Wai  1= Sired  Wiks. 

.  STANLEY  ARMITAGE  was  sitting  in 
\\e/  his  elegant  office  in  deep  meditation.  It 
was  not  business  that  engrossed  his  thoughts, 
else  his  amanuensis  would  have  been  at  his  elbow, 
ready  to  put  down  in  shorthand  the  dictation  of 
the  great  man.  From  the  outer  office  came  the 
sharp  clatter  of  the  type-writers  and  the  musical 
tinkle  of  the  "line-bell,"  ringing  often  and  prov- 
ing that  the  operators  had  skill  in  using  these 
necessary  adjuncts  of  office-work.  No  need  had 
he  to  worry  over  his  business  affairs,  for  every 
thing  was  moving  smoothly.  The  various  roads 
in  which  he  was  interested  were  earning  largely, 
and  others  that  he  hoped  soon  to  absorb  were 
gradually  swinging  round  where  the  majority  of 
stock  could  be  secured,  and  the  management 
either  changed  or  made  subservient  to  new  mas- 
ters. Aside  from  these  interests,  others  in  which 
he  had  a  hand,  either  by  investment  or  incep- 
tion, were  in  a  prosperous  condition,  and  keenly 


3l8  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

looked  after  by  men  in  whom  he  had  the  fullest 
confidence. 

The  fact  was,  the  young  man  was  not  happy 
this  fine  morning,  and  Miss  Belle  Pitcairn  was 
responsible  for  his  dissatisfaction.  With  all  of 
his  confidence  in  his  ability  to  secure  his  own 
ends,  this  autocrat  was  not  sure  that  he  was 
to  be  successful  in  winning  the  daughter  of  the 
Governor.  There  had  been  a  time  when  he  felt 
almost  certain  that  she  cared  for  him  ;  but  since 
she  had  spent  so  much  of  her  time  among  the 
people  at  the  East  Side  it  seemed  as  if  there 
was  no  opportunity  to  be  near  her.  She  had 
indeed  appeared  at  the  notable  gatherings  that 
season,  and  was  as  beautiful  and  brilliant, — nay, 
as  was  universally  acknowledged,  more  charming 
than  ever;  still  there  had  been  an  invisible 
barrier  between  them.  lie  could  not  complain 
that  she  had  been  less  cordial,  nor  had  she 
appeared  to  take  less  interest  in  him  than  be- 
fore ;  but  there  was  a  lack  of  the  charming 
half-willingness  with  which  she  had  listened  to 
the  tale  of  the  Fate  Flower,  that  kept  him  in 
a  state  of  uncertainty  as  to  whether  she  would 
be  content  to  entertain  the  sequel  of  the  tale. 

On  the  other  hand,  his  cousin,  the  charming  and 
clever  Mrs.  Armitage,  told  him  decidedly  that 
the  young  lady  loved  him;  she  was  sure  of  it, 


WALL-STREET  WILES.  319 


and  it  was  his  own  timorous  delay  that  kept 
him  from  plucking  so  rare  and  sweet  a  blossom. 
She  had,  moreover,  with  a  woman's  keenness, 
warned  him  against  the  influence  of  Professor 
Buckingham,  who  was  quite  a  lion  in  society 
this  season,  when  he  could  be  prevailed  upon 
to  appear,  and  whose  new  book  had  at  once 
made  him  especially  distinguished  in  his  learned 
profession. 

The  warning  given  by  his  gentle  cousin  was 
not  lost-  upon  the  anxious  wooer,  and  if  his 
thoughts  had  been  read,  they  would  have  shown 
that  he  was  racking  a  fertile  brain  for  some 
plan  to  put  his  rival  far  behind  in  this  eager 
race. 

Once,  during  one  of  his  many  reveries,  he 
had  struck  a  bell  and  dispatched  a  clerk  with  a 
slip  of  <£>aper  to  the  commercial  agency  that  he 
patronized,  and  when  the  messenger  returned,  it 
was  with  a  complete  statement  of  his  rival's 
financial  standing,  together  with  many  minor 
details  that  none  but  a  customer  of  his  stamp 
would  be  likely  to  secure. 

With  this  paper  in  his  hand  he  sat  and  thought 
a  while  longer,  then  figured  a  few  minutes, 
looked  his  work  over,  reluctantly  saying  half 
aloud,  — 

"It   will   cost    me   several    hundred    thousand  if 


320  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

I  am  not  careful,  but  it 's  too  good  a  plan  to 
give  up." 

That  evening  he  visited  Mrs.  Armitage,  and 
found  her  alone,  her  husband,  Jack  Armitage, 
who  was  known  as  "one  of  the  best-hearted 
fellows  in  the  world,"  being  off  at  the  club, 
where  he  spent  much  of  his  time. 

"Ah,  Bess,  alone?"  he  inquired.  "Just  as  I 
hoped,  for  I  have  a  good  plan  for  getting  fur- 
ther ahead  of  my  learned  rival,  John  Bucking- 
ham, PH.  D." 

"You  speak  plainly  about  your  love  affairs," 
smiled  the  lady. 

"To   you, — yes, — but    to   you    only." 

"Such  flattery  is  very  sweet  to  a  woman, 
even  if  she  be  a  relative ;  pray  tell  me  your 
plan." 

"In  the  first  place,  Belle  Pitcatrn  wo»ld  never 
marry  a  poor  man,  even  if  she  did  a  hard- 
hearted one?"  he  interrogated,  with  a  subtle 
smile. 

"I  should  say  decidedly  not,  although  she  has 
a  large  fortune  in  her  own  right,  and  the  Gov- 
ernor is  immensely  wealthy.  My  belief  is,  that 
even  if  she  cared  for  a  poor  man,  her  parents 
would  interfere,  as  they  are  possessed  of  excep- 
tional good  sense,"  was  the  lady's  reply. 

"Very   well;    now    give    me    your   attention.     I 


WALL-STREET  WILES.  321 

have  it  in  my  power  to  make  Buckingham  a 
poor  man,"  said  the  financier. 

"  Another  scheme  ? "  laughed  the  lady.  "  If  I 
am  not  mistaken,  you  were  going  to  close  up 
the  box-factor}'  by  means  of  the  trust  before 
three  months,  but  it  is  still  in  existence,  and 
then,  too,  the  dilapidated  dog  that  accompanies 
you  everywhere  was  to  be  a  constant  advertise- 
ment of  your  worth,  and  Buckingham's  unwor- 
thiness " 

"The  Van  Alstyne  Manufacturing  Company 
barely  exists.  The  other  mills  have  secured  the 
best  help,  and  are  doing  the  work  that  the 
money  is  in.  The  Harlem  mill  is  alive,  but  so 
near  death's  door  that  any  day  it  may  be  num- 
bered among  the  city's  defunct  firms.  My  scheme 
is  working  exactly  as  I  planned,  and  as  for  the 
cur,  he  has  his  influence,"  returned  Stanley,  with 
a  shade  of  annoyance. 

"  Possibly,  but  I  have  a  feeling  that  in  at- 
tempting to  defeat  or  hoodwink  Belle  Pitcairn 
you  are  meeting  one  who  has  as  much  clever- 
ness as  almost  any  one  I  could  name.  The  end 
has  not  yet  come " 

"Well,  let  it  come  when  it  will,  my  plans 
will  not  miscarry,"  said  the  young  man.  "But 
about  this  one  that  is  to  put  the  Professor  en- 
tirely out  of  the  race.  It  can  be  done!" 


322  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

"  In   an   honorable   manner  ? " 

"In  a  way  perfectly — commercial,"  was  the 
half  cynical  reply. 

"  Explain,  please,  if  it  is  any  thing  that 
I  can  understand,"  said  the  beautiful  woman, 
leaning  back  in  her  chair  and  fanning  herself 
languidly. 

"It  is  easy  of  comprehension,  in  fact  quite 
simple,  yet  it  took  time  to  perfect  the  plan  so 
that  there  could  be  no  miscarriage,"  returned  the 
other.  "The  case  stands  something  like  this: 
the  Professor  is  a  large  holder  of  a  certain  stock 
that  is  at  present  sold  at  a  good  round  figure. 
He  purchased  it,  not  as  a  speculation,  but  an 
investment,  and  means  to  retain  it,  for  it  is 
constantly  increasing  in  value  and  paying  excel- 
lent dividends.  I  also  hold  large  blocks  of  this 
same  stock,  bought  at  about  the  same  price  that 
he  paid.  My  plan  is  to  give  to  the  papers  for 
some  time  rumors  that  it  will  take  long  to  dis- 
credit about  certain  parties  who  manage  the 
affairs  of  this  company,  which  will  at  once  lower 
the  market  price  of  the  stock.  When  all  is 
ready,  I  will  throw  the  whole  of  my  holding 
upon  the  market,  which  will  run  it  down  to  its 
lowest  peg.  If  it  does  not,  my  partner  has  a 
large  quantity  to  unload,  and  that  certainly  will 
knock  the  price  down  where  it  would  mean  a 


WALL-STREET  WILES.  $23 

dead   loss   for   any  one   to  sell.     Then    I   mean   to 
'squeeze'   my   doughty  rival." 

"  But  can  he  not  hold  his  stock  until  it  goes 
up  again  ? " 

"  There  is  just  the  point,"  replied  the  gentle 
man  with  quiet  enthusiasm.  "Buckingham  bor 
rowed  a  large  sum  of  money  not  long  since,  to 
secure  an  estate  on  the  Hudson  that  formerly 
belonged  to  his  grandfather.  This  loan,  which 
was  negotiated  by  one  who,  unknown  to  him,  is 
in  agent  of  mine,  will  be  suddenly  called  in, 
when  the  stock  reaches  its  lowest  point." 

"And   then?" 

"  Then  he  will  be  obliged  to  sell  his  stock  at 
a  dead  loss  to  raise  cash  enough  to  pay  that 
loan,  and  it  will  about  eat  up  his  little  fortune. 
What  do  you  think  of  the  scheme  ? "  inquired 
Stanley,  leaning  back  with  an  air  of  satisfaction. 

"  I  do  not  like  it  hi  the  least ! "  replied  the 
lady,  boldly.  "  I  would  much  rather  you  would 
win  in  a  fair  fight." 

"  Bless  you,  dear,  is  n't  this  a  fair  fight  ? 
Listen  until  I  tell  you  the  rest  of  my  plan. 
As  soon  as  the  Professor  unloads  I  shall  buy 
up  the  whole  of  his  stock,  and  shall  also,  through 
agents,  have  much  of  our  original  holding.  Then 
soon  after  it  is  known  that  he  is  ruined,  I  shall 
press  my  suit,  and  when  successful  I  will  put 


324  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

Buckingham  in  the  way  of  getting  back  his 
money,  if  he  wishes  it." 

"I  very  much  doubt  if  he  would  accept  as- 
sistance from  you  in  any  case,"  returned  the 
lady.  "  However,  you  must  do  as  you  see  fit. 
I  suppose  it  is  considered  all  right  in  business, 
but  it  does  seem  cruel,  and  I  wish  you  had  not 
told  me  about  it." 

"Not  even  for  the  sake  of  securing  so  lovely 
a  cousin  as  Belle  Pitcairn  ? " 

"Indeed,  I  hope  you  will  win  her,  but  do  it 
by  fair  means,"  was  the  reply. 

"All  means t  are  fair  in  love  and  —  Wall 
Street,"  murmured  her  cousin,  sauntering  out  to 
have  a  quiet  smqke. 

Bent  upon  crushing  his  rival  financially  by  one 
master  stroke,  the  financier  could  think  of  little 
else,  and  even  allowed  his  business  to  get  some- 
what behind  as  he  watched  this  certain  stock, 
keeping  careful  note  of  all  who  held  it,  and 
getting  ready  for  the  final  moves.  His  partner 
held  a  seat  in  the  Stock  Exchange,  and  during 
the  time  previous  to  putting  the  deal  into  exe- 
cution had  purchased  all  of  the  stock  offered, 
and  had  even  looked  for  some  among  the  yell- 
ing crowd  of  well-dressed  men  who  occupy  the 
pit  of  this  famous  enclosure. 

Ordinarily     cool,    this    keen     man     of     business 


WALL-STREET  WILES,  32$ 

was  so  wrought  up  by  the  combination  of  love 
and  jealousy  that  his  own  employes  noted  it, 
and  wondered  what  had  happened  in  the  railroad 
world  that  could  make  Mr.  Armitage  so  restless 
and  irritable.  It  had  been  his  intention  to  stay 
away  from  the  Governor's  until  after  the  Profes- 
sor was  fully  disposed  of,  but  such  a  resolution 
was  more  than  he  could  keep,  and  the  follow- 
ing day  found  him  there,  as  ever  a  welcome 
guest. 

"We  feared  that  you  had  gone  on  another  of 
those  long  'inspection  tours,'  Mr.  Armitage," 
said  Mrs.  Pitcairn,  graciously,  for  the  good  lady 
was  justly  pleased  with  the  attentions  that  this 
desirable  young  man  paid  her  daughter,  and,  in- 
deed, half  suspected  that  his  regard  was  re- 
turned. 

"Business  has  been  pressing  of  late,  or  I 
should  not  let  it  interfere  with  the  most  valued 
pleasure  I  have  —  my  calls  here,"  returned  he, 
with  a  graceful  bow. 

"  Mamma  and  I  were  feeling  almost  neglected," 
said  Belle  politely,  "and  are  you  aware  that 
Bessie  has  not  been  near  us  for  two  long 
weeks  ? " 

"She  is  the  sufferer,  then,  for  there  is  no 
family  in  New  York  with  whom  she  feels  so 
much  in  sympathy,  and  whose  social  converse 


326  HER  OPPORTUNITY, 

she  enjoys,  as  she  does  yours.  She  frequently 
tells  me  so,  and  Bess  is  not  one  given  to  flat- 
tering statements,"  replied  Stanley. 

"  I  am  so  glad,"  replied  Belle  earnestly.  "  She 
is  so  sweet  and  lovable,  and  comprehends  one 
with  such  quickness,  that  she  has  seemed  like  a 
sister  to  me.  Do  you  know,  Mr.  Armitage,  I 
have  a  new  heresy,  which  is  to  secure  Mrs. 
Armitage,  and  papa  and  mamma,  and  slip  out  of 
society  and  enjoy  country  life,  not  for  a  short 
summer,  but  for  both  summer  and  winter. 
There  are  so  many  new  phases  of  life  coming 
up  before  me,  that  I  want  time  to  think." 

"Extremely  bad  for  a  lady  to  think,  Miss 
Pitcairn,"  said  Armitage,  in  a  tone  of  gentle  but 
delightful  irony ;  "  none  of  the  elite  do  it.  My 
cousin  is,  I  believe,  an  exception,  and  her  brood- 
ing over  domestic  problems  has  brought  a  wrinkle 
between  her  pretty  brows.  Do  n't  do  it,  let  me 
beg  of  you  ;  on  the  contrary,  enjoy  constantly, 
but  never  question.  The  fact  that  you  have  a 
pleasure  should  be  a  patent  of  ownership  to  it." 

Mr.  Armitage  had  begun  to  banter,  but  had 
ended  in  earnest.  In  a  word  he  had  expressed 
his  idea  of  the  life  of  a  woman,  —  one  of  graceful 
enjoyment  of  the  present,  with  no  thought  of 
the  future,  no  regret  for  the  past, — and  he  con« 
tinued,  — 


WALL-STREET  WILES.  327 

"I  think  oftentimes  that  the  American  girl  is 
possessed  of  an  impatience  to  do  something  that 
is  entirely  unnecessary,  and  that  it  may  be  un- 
wise to  attempt.  The  impulse  comes  from  the 
best  of  motives,  but  is  none  the  less  out  of 
place.  Perhaps  one  is  religiously  inclined, — she 
is  all  aglow  to  do  something,  perhaps  to  spend 
a  lifetime  among  the  destitute.  It  would  be  a 
beautiful  sacrifice,  but  is  it  the  best  she  can 
do  ?  I  should  say  no,  and  prove  it  by  an  illus- 
tration, if  you  will  pardon  it,  from  my  own 
life.  I  am  full  of  energy  to  do  something  in 
the  business  world.  Now  to  have  my  affairs  at- 
tended to,  many  letters  must  be  written,  books 
kept,  calls  made,  and  even  tickets  punched, 
brakes  set,  and  engines  fired.  There  are  none 
of  those  things  but  what  I  could  do,  and  doubt- 
less do  well.  But  is  it  practical  for  me  to 
undertake  this  drudgery,  in  person,  when  I  can 
hire  so  many  idle  hands  to  attend  to  it  ?  Fur- 
ther than  that,  have  I  a  right  to  withdraw  my- 
self from  my  associates,  where  I  am  a  power, 
and  bring  down  a  broad  influence  to  the  nar- 
row one  of  a  clerk  or  an  engineer  ? " 

The  caller  paused,  feeling  that  he  had  said 
almost  too  much,  but  so  full  had  his  mind 
been  of  an  energetic  protest  against  the  con- 
stancy with  which  the  object  of  his  affection 


328  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

clung  to  her  new  ventures,    that  it  took   the   form 
of  words   before   he   knew   it. 

Belle  smiled  mischievously  at  the  gentleman's 
earnestness,  and  said,  — 

"  Are  these  American  girls  whom  you  depict, 
works  of  the  imagination,  or  do  you  know 
some  such  self-sacrificing  maidens  ? " 

Mr.  Armitage  flushed  a  little,  and  then  said 
with  his  rare  smile,  — 

"  To  be  honest,  it  is  a  protest  against  your 
robbing  us  of  your  society  to  go  among  the 
people  at  Harlem,  and  the  East  Side.  If  you  only 
will  consent  to  come  among  us  again,  as  in  the 
times  of  yore,  we  will  employ  a  half-dozen  able- 
bodied  missionaries  to  evangelize  all  of  your  in- 
teresting heathen." 

What  a  picture  came  up  before  her  vision, 
as  this  fascinating  friend  spoke  with  eloquent 
emphasis  of  the  "times  of  yore"!  How  the 
quiet  dinner  parties,  the  enjoyable  evenings,  and 
the  host  of  minor  recollections  crowded  about, 
summoned  by  the  simple  phrase !  The  mischief 
had  left  her  mobile  face,  and  for  a  moment  her 
eyes  took  on  a  soft,  dreamy  look  that  sent  the 
blood  bounding  through  the  caller's  veins  as  he 
noted  every  change  of  expression.  He  felt  that 
his  star  was  still  in  the  ascendant,  and  that  as 
soon  as  his  "  deal  in  stocks "  was  finished,  he 


WALL-STREET  WILES. 


could  indeed  speak  boldly  and  successfully  to 
this  peerless  woman. 

"  I  am  not  quite  prepared  to  defend  the  rest- 
less American  girl  to-day,  but  shall  be  very 
soon,"  said  Belle,  awakening  from  her  reverie. 
"  Her  friends  would  be  amazed  did  they  know 
how  practical  this  same  visionary  personage 
has  become.  She  will  examine  what  has  been 
done  by  results,  and  if  her  general  usefulness 
has  been  impaired,  or  her  influence  in  any 
manner  narrowed,  the  experiment  will  not  be 
considered  a  success." 

"  Perhaps  my  cousin,  and  may  I  add,  I  my- 
self, are  more  than  usually  selfish,  but  we  have 
felt  that  we  were  being  partially  robbed  of  a 
most  helpful  friend,  and  if  we  transgress  in  try- 
ing to  hold  fast  her  friendship,  it  certainly  will 
not  be  through  evil  intent,"  rejoined  Mr.  Armi- 
tage. 

"  Indeed  your  friendship  is  greatly  valued," 
returned  Belle,  earnestly,  as  he  took  his  leave. 
"You  will  come  again,  and  soon?" 

"  Gladly,"  was  the  reply,  and  he  was  gone 
with  the  quick,  vigorous  step  and  erect  carriage 
that  stamped  him  the  gentleman  of  business. 

Belle  watched  him  as  he  passed  down  the 
avenue  and  out  of  sight,  then  turned  with  an 
inscrutable  air  to  a  tiny  desk,  and  unlocking  it, 


33°  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

began  to  look  over  the  last  report  of  her  busi- 
ness in  Harlem.  As  she  read  a  crowd  of 
thoughts  surged  over  her,  and  she  paused  to 
ponder.  Was  she  injuring  her  influence  ?  Should 
she  drop  this  work  or  delegate  it  to  hired  ser- 
vants ?  It  had  thus  far  meant  self-denial  of  a 
kind  that  ladies  in  the  world  of  fashion  most 
dislike.  The  magnificent  diamonds  that  had  been 
selected  by  the  Governor  for  her  birthday  gift 
were  still  at  Tiffany's,  although  the  day  was 
long  past  when  they  were  to  be  given,  while 
their  price  had  gone  into  new  machinery.  Was 
the  investment  foolish  ?  Was  well-bred  Stanley 
Armitage,  with  his  knowledge  of  the  world, 
after  all,  in  the  right  ? 


WON  WITHOUT  WOOING.  331 


XXII. 


o0ir)q. 
-vj 


[HERE  was  a  mystery  at  the  Harlem  mill, 
and  Miss  Pitcairn  was  the  only  one  to 
note  its  presence.  Exactly  when  it  was  that 
she  began  to  feel  that  Miss  Jessie,  one  of  the 
box  makers,  was  the  possessor  of  some  impor- 
tant secret,  she  could  not  tell;  but  at  last  the 
conviction  had  become  so  strong  that  she  had 
determined  if  possible  to  fathom  it.  Right  in 
the  line  of  her  suspicions  came  an  item  in  the 
report  of  the  superintendent  of  repairs,  to  the 
effect  that  this  young  lady  had  been  observed 
following  Conlon  to  the  Faith  Mission  on  sev- 
eral occasions,  and  then  remaining  outside  with 
bowed  head,  as  if  silently  weeping. 

Now  Miss  Jessie  was  the  last  person  who 
would  be  suspected  of  a  sickly  sentimentality, 
for  she  was  quiet,  self-poised,  and  a  genuine 
lady  in  manner  and  in  speech.  She  was,  to  be 
sure,  but  a  box-maker,  but  a  good  one,  and  as 
free  from  petty  affectation  or  ill-breeding  as  if 


332  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

she  had  been  brought  up  in  the  most  cultured 
society. 

With  her  steady  self-possession,  it  seemed 
strange  that  she  should  flee  in  sudden  panic 
whenever  Conlon  came  through  the  "  making-up " 
room  on  his  way  to  the  office ;  or  that  under 
plea  of  too  strong  a  light,  she  should  place  a 
rampart  of  boxes  so  that  they  partly  hid  her 
from  view. 

Another  incident  deepened  the  mystery.  Mr. 
Thomas  bustled  into  the  Harlem  mill  one  after- 
noon, and  seeing  her  at  her  table,  said,  — 

"You  are  always  ready  to  help  in  a  good 
cause,  are  you  not  ? 

"  I   think   so,"    was   the   quiet   reply. 

"Very  well,  come  down  to  the  Mission  next 
Sunday,  and  take  a  class  of  boys." 

"  I  do  n't  know  about  my  talent  lying  in  that 
direction,"  began  she,  but  the  missionary  cut  it 
short  by  saying  briskly,  as  he  went  out  of  the 
door,  — 

"Then  you  will  come?  Very  well,  I  will  be 
on  hand  to  introduce  you  to  the  scholars  and 
to  the  other  teachers.  You  will  find  yourself  at 
once  among  friends." 

"  That  is  the  way  he  captures  many  an  un- 
willing worker,"  said  Miss  Pitcairn,  smilingly. 
"And  his  energy  is  so  infectious!  You  had 


WON  WITHOUT  WOOING.  333 

better  go,  and  if  you  get  over-tired  get  another 
assistant  for  your  pattern  work." 

Thus  it  happened  that  before  she  fairly  knew 
it,  Miss  Jessie  was  made  a  teacher  at  the  Faith 
Mission,  and  on  the  following  Sabbath  was  on 
hand  in  good  season,  with  the  lesson  well 
learned,  and  the  same  quiet  determination  in 
her  eyes  that  made  her  so  successful  in  box- 
making. 

"  I  knew  you  would  come,"  said  Mr.  Thomas, 
taking  her  hand.  "Now  for  the  introduction. 
Here  is  Miss  Rutgers,  one  of  our  best  teachers; 
this  gentleman  is  Mr.  Follansbee,  our  first  as- 
sistant superintendent, — and  O,  yes,  you  must 
know  Mr.  Conlon  ;  excuse  me  for  a  moment, 
and  I  will  fetch  him." 

Hurrying  up  to  the  desk  Mr.  Thomas  took 
the  arm  of  the  engineer,  and  started  back  to 
where  he  had  left  the  new  teacher,  but  to  his 
amazement  she  had  gone. 

"Almost  ran  out  of  the  door,"  reported  Miss 
Rutgers. 

"Probably  she  had  forgotten  something  impor- 
tant and  had  no  time  to  explain,"  said  the  mis- 
sionary. "  No  doubt  she  will  be  here  next 
Sabbath,  and  possibly  will  return  in  time  for 
this  session." 

In    spite   of    this    kindly    interpretation    of    her 


334  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 


strange  flight,  the  lady  did  not  return  to  the 
Mission  school  that  day,  nor  the  following  week, 
nor  would  she  vouchsafe  any  good  reason  for  her 
singular  conduct.  Mr.  Thomas  called  again  at 
the  mill,  but  this  time  his  quick  intuition  told 
him  that  a  brisk  assumption  that  the  young  lady 
would  come  down  to  the  Faith  Mission  would 
not  do,  and  a  bit  puzzled,  he  left  her  for  the 
present,  to  do  as  she  saw  fit. 

To  Miss  Pitcairn  this  action  was  a  curious 
outbreak,  in  one  who  heretofore  in  every  thing 
good  had  been  eager  to  lend  a  helping  hand. 
The  lady  argued  that  there  must  be  some 
strong  reason  for  so  positive  a  stand,  and  more 
and  more  did  she  connect  Mr.  Conlon  with  it. 

There  was  the  possibility  that  the  quiet  box- 
maker  might  be  in  love  with  the  sturdy  disci- 
ple, but  why  should  that  lead  her  to  flee  from 
him  ? 

A  circumstance  that  strengthened  Belle's  be- 
lief that  it  was  Mr.  Conlon  whom  she  dreaded 
to  meet,  was  her  manner  at  a  certain  evening 
meeting  where  both  happened  to  be.  The  ser- 
vice occurred  a  little  out  of  the  usual  line,  and 
was  held  in  one  of  the  lower  rooms  of  the  old 
warehouse.  It  had  not  been  expected  that 
Mr.  Conlon  would  be  present,  but  when  the 
meeting  was  about  half-over  he  entered,  and  be- 


WOX  WITHOUT  WOOING.  335 

fore  long  rose  and  gave  an  earnest  testimony 
to  the  helpful  influences  of  Christianity  in  the 
daily  life.  That  it  came  from  a  heart  full  of 
love,  and  was  supplemented  by  a  life  devoted  to 
the  Master's  work,  none  could  doubt.  As  he 
spoke  Miss  Jessie  shook  with  sobs,  so  that  it 
was  impossible  to  conceal  it  from  those  near 
her.  The  speaker  even  noted  her  agitation,  and 
spoke  more  earnestly  of  the  Saviour's  love,  and 
of  His  readiness  to  accept  those  who  put  their 
trust  in  Him. 

At  the  close  of  the  service  Mr.  Conlon  started 
down  the  aisle  toward  the  seat  where  the  young 
lady  sat,  but  she  slipped  out  of  the  door  and 
away,  leaving  her  companions  to  think  what 
they  pleased. 

The  next  morning  Miss  Pitcairn,  entering  the 
mill  at  an  unusualy  early  hour,  found  her  sob- 
bing as  if  her  heart  would  break. 

"  Why,  my  dear,"  said  that  warm-hearted  young 
lady,  "  what  is  the  matter ;  are  you  ill  ? " 

"  Oh,  no,  no ! "  was  the  reply,  with  but  a 
feeble  flutter  of  resistance,  as  she  felt  a  loving 
arm  slipped  round  her.  "  I  suppose  I  am  ner- 
vous and  foolish." 

"Do  you  think  it  right  to  keep  from  your 
best  friends  a  secret  that  will  do  no  harm  to 
tell,  and  may  do  great  good?" 


336  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

"  A   secret  ?  "   gasped   the   other. 

"  Yes,  about  Mr.  Conlon.  I  could  not  but  note 
your  interest  in  him,  and  did  not  think  it  wrong 
to  watch,  as  it  was  only  with  the  idea  of  being 
helpful  to  you." 

The  girl  rocked  herself  to  and  fro  in  hopeless 
agony,  wailing,  "  O,  if  I  only  knew  that  he  loved 
me ;  if  I  only  knew  !  " 

"  Poor  child,"  thought  Belle  ;  "  I  am  afraid  he 
hardly  knows  of  your  existence,  and  that  you 
are  cherishing  only  a  hopeless  affection."  Then 
aloud  she  said,  "  I  am  so  sorry  for  you  !  Mr. 
Conlon  is  a  good,  earnest  Christian,  and  I  am 
sure  is  worthy  of  your  love,  but  we  women  can 
only  live  on  and  suffer  when  we  bestow  our  af- 
fection on  those  who  do  not  return  it." 

The  words  ended  in  a  sigh,  and  the  beautiful 
face  was  for  the  moment  shadowed  by  a  look  of 
pain.  "  There  is  one  refuge,  I  sometimes  think 
the  only  one  —  prayer.  Have  you  prayed  the 
Lord  to  guide  you  in  this  matter  ? " 

"Yes,"    was    the   faint    response. 

"  Well,  if  you  have  placed  it  in  the  Lord's 
hands  you  can  not  do  better.  It  is  sure  to  be 
for  the  best  in  the  r.nd.  There,  the  whistle  is 
blowing ;  good-bye,  and  may  God  bless  you  and 
help  you.  I  shall  pray  for  you." 

Among  those  who  had   interested  themselves  in 


WON  WITHOUT  WOOING.  337 

the  meetings  at  the  Mission,  was  Mr.  McFad- 
den,  who  had  also  more  than  once  sent  to  the 
Young  Women's  Christian  association  some  little 
voken  of  his  appreciation.  The  fact  is,  he  had 
taken  quite  a  fancy  to  Miss  Jessie,  although  he 
scarcely  knew  her.  The  matron  of  the  associa- 
tion, who  was  a  wide-awake,  practical  lady,  en- 
couraged the  friends  of  the  girls  to  call  on  them 
in  the  large  common  parlor,  and  many  did  so. 

McFadden  had  been  able,  further,  to  join  a 
Bible  class,  the  very  one  to  which  the  young 
lady  belonged,  and  when  he  could  do  so  he, 
with  great  courtesy,  showed  her  the  places  for 
the  evening  reading,  and  neglected  no  opportunity 
to  make  himself  agreeable. 

What  she  thought  of  him  it  would  be  difficult 
to  say,  but  at  all  events  she  smiled  gratefully 
when  he  paid  her  little  attentions,  and  appeared 
not  to  distrust  him  as  she  did  most  of  the 
masculine  gender. 

Her  smiles  finally  completed  the  conquest  that 
her  quiet  demeanor  had  made,  and  McFadden, 
bursting  with  the  important  secret  that  he  was 
in  love,  resolved  to  speak  with  his  bosom  friend, 
O'Toole,  about  it. 

"Jock,"  he  said,  impressively,  "I  canna  sleep 
neets." 

**Ye  ate  too   much,"   was   the  reply. 


HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


"Na,  it's  na  that.  I  n.auna  as  weel  tal  ye, 
I  'm  aboot  to  marry." 

"  Phat  is  there  extraordinary  about  that  ?  "  in- 
quired O'Toole,  slightly  disgusted. 

"Much,"  was  the  dignified  answer.  "This 
young  person  is  a  leddy,  an'  how  I  can  adorn 
mysel'  so  as  to  luke  well  in  her  eyes  and  win 
her  consent  ?  " 

"  Oho,    ye   hain't   axed   her   yet  ?  " 

"  Na,  it  would  be  premature,  but  I  ken  this 
weel,  that  she  smiles  on  me  and  dinna  luke  at 
another  mon,"  was  the  satisfied  answer. 

"Thin  you  are  all  right,"  said  O'Toole,  with 
conviction.  "  Without  doubt,  she  is  a  deal  more 
anxious  than  ye  are  yerself,  but  what  have  ye 
done  to  fix  yerself  up  ?  " 

The  Scotchman  produced  a  paper  collar  and  a 
large  blue  necktie,  and  carefully  put  them  on 
before  the  glass. 

"  Noo,    hoo   do    I    look  ?  "    he   inquired. 

"  Splindid,    splindid  !  "     ejaculated    his   friend. 

"  Ye  see,  it  's  na  verra  expensive  to  dress  up," 
said  McFadden  ;  "a  collar  o'  this  kind  lasts  a 
long  time.  When  it  gets  soiled  it  can  be  rubbed 
in  chalk,  and  when  that  does  na  good  it  can  be 
turned." 

"  It  makes  ye  '  x>k  splindid,"  returned  his 
friend. 


WON  WITHOUT  WOOItfG.  339 

"  Awcel,  I  'm  going  doon  and  try  her  as  soon 
as  I  think  it  weel  to  do  so,  an'  gin  I  hae  gude 
luck  will  come  back  an'  tell  ye  aboot  it,"  said 
McFadden,  after  another  long  look  in  the  glass 
and  a  fresh  adjustment  of  the  tie. 

Like  a  wise  man,  he  allowed  the  news  of  his 
change  of  base  on  the  temperance  question  to 
go  over  to  Faith  Mission,  and  also  to  the  asso- 
ciation, before  he  attempted  to  do  any  thing 
about  the  matter  that  was  so  near  his  heart. 
When  a  week  had  elapsed,  he  called,  and  being 
shown  into  the  large  parlor  which  was  used  for 
a  sewing-room  during  the  day,  he  asked  to  see 
the  matron. 

That  excellent  lady  came  in  at  that  moment 
with  Mr.  Conlon,  who,  being  an  engineer,  had 
been  invited  in  to  locate  the  trouble  in  the 
kitchen-boiler,  which,  in  spite  of  "new  water- 
back  "  and  hot  fire,  refused  to  furnish  the  house 
with  hot  water.  As  the  lady  turned  to  speak 
with  McFadden-,  she  asked  Conlon  to  seat  him- 
self, which  he  did  on  the  sofa  partly  behind  the 
great  hall  door.  The  Scotchman  made  known 
his  wish,  and,  as  it  happened,  the  one  he  wanted 
to  see  just  then  entered  the  parlor,  and  the 
matron  turning  to  her,  said,  — 

"Mr.    McFadden   wishes   to   speak   with    you.'' 

The  lady    looked    surprised,    but    walked    across 


34°  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


the  room  to  where  he  sat  and  said,  pleasantly, 
"Good  evening,"  and  waited  for  him  to  announce 
his  errand.  But  the  ardent  wooer  had  none  of 
the  courage  that  he  possessed  when  with  O'Toote, 
and  all  he  could  do  was  to  stammer  out,  "Gude 
evening." 

When  she  had  entered,  Mr.  Conlon  was  deep  in 
his  thoughts,  and  not  aware  that  any  addition  had 
been  made  to  the  party,  but  he  was  immediately 
awakened  from  his  reverie  by  the  sound  of  the 
new  voice,  and  at  once  an  eager,  startled  look 
swept  over  his  countenance.  Her  back  was 
toward  him,  but  he  leaned  forward,  a  hungry  light 
in  his  eyes,  and  surmise  deepening  into  certainty 
as  he  scanned  the  lines  of  the  trim,  shapely 
figure  and  the  graceful,  well-poised  head.  At 
last  he  could  stand  it  no  longer,  and  breaking 
into  the  conversation  that  McFadden  had  at  last 
with  difficulty  started,  he  said,  in  a  low,  impas- 
sioned voice,  "Jessie." 

Like  a  flash  she  turned,  and  seeing  Conlon, 
with  face  full  of  joy,  his  arms  outstretched,  ran 
straight  into  them,  and  lay  sobbing  and  quiver- 
ing, overpowered  by  sudden  gladness. 

McFadden,  who  had  just  begun  a  long  pero- 
ration on  the  fact  that  "it  wasna  gude  for  mon 
to  be  alone,"  felt  its  truth  more  than  ever  be- 
fore, and  was  about  to  stalk  off  bursting  with 


WON  WITHOUT  WOOING.  341 

outraged  dignity,  when  Conlon  stopped  him,  and 
addressing  the  few  that  the  parlor  contained, 
said, — 

*'  Friends,  this  must  seem  a  very  strange  scene 
to  you,  but  I  believe  it  is  the  Lord's  doings. 
To  explain,  I  must  go  back  into  my  life  —  a 
thing  that  I  do  n't  like  to  do,  because  it  shows 
me  little  else  but  folly  and  sin.  When  I  was  a 
youngster  I  lived  in  a  small  village  in  Maine, 
and  next  door  to  me  lived  the  minister  of  the 
place.  I  was  a  wild,  strong,  bad  boy,  and  cared 
not  a  bit  for  any  thing  good,  with  one  excep- 
tion. Little  Jessie,  the  minister's  daughter,  was 
the  one  person  in  the  world  that  I  cared  for. 
As  I  grew  older  I  liked  her  better,  and  al- 
though every  one  in  the  village  recited  my  bad 
deeds  and  predicted  my  evil  end,  she  never 
disliked  or  distrusted  me." 

The  fair  head  pillowed  on  the  deep  chest  was 
raised  an  instant,  and  the  look  of  trust  and 
confidence  in  the  large  eyes  was  beautiful  to 
see. 

"When  I  came  home  from  a  wandering  trip 
and  married  her,  in  spite  of  the  talk  of  the 
village  gossips,  and  even  despite  her  parents' 
wishes,  I  had  no  doubt  but  that  I  should  make 
her  perfectly  happy.  Rum,  however,  soon  began 
to  make  me  forget  my  good  resolutions.  While 


34 2  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


I  drank  and  abused  her  she  stuck  by  me,  until 
I  announced  that  I  had  bought  an  interest  with 
'Big  Tom'  in  the  saloon  where  the  Mission  now 
stands ;  then  she  stood  up  and  told  me  that  she 
would  not  live  with  a  rum-seller. 

"I  was  enraged,  and,  although  I  did  not  strike 
her  —  thank  God,  I  never  did  that  —  I  talked  as 
ugly  as  I  knew  how,  and  finally  went  off  down 
to  the  saloon.  When  I  came  back  at  night  she 
was  gone.  O,  how  I  missed  her!  Bad  though 
I  was,  I  would  have  given  all  that  I  had  to 
get  her  back.  I  sent  to  her  village  home,  but 
no  one  had  seen  her.  I  employed  detectives 
here  in  the  city,  but  it  was  of  no  use.  Finally 
word  came  that  she  had  gone  to  an  aunt's  in 
the  West  and  had  died.  Then  I  went  deeper 
than  ever  into  drink.  You  all  know  the  story 
of  my  reformation  —  how  the  Lord  was  willing 
to  save  such  a  man  as  I  was,  but  it  grieved 
me  sore  that  I  could  not  have  been  a  Christian 
while  my  wife  was  with  me.  And  now  she  is 
here.  The  -Lord  has  given  her  back  as  from 
the  dead.  It  seems  as  if  my  heart  would  burst 
with  happiness." 

"  How  very,  very  glad  I  am  that  you  are  so 
happy,"  said  Belle  when  Mrs.  Conlon  came  to  her 
with  the  joyful  news.  "  If  my  mill  never  pays 
any  dividends  but  such  as  these,  it  will  be  a 


WON  WITHOUT  WOOING.  343 

most  successful  venture.  I  presume  you  will 
leave  me  now,  dear?" 

"Not  unless  you  discharge  me,"  was  the  bright 
reply.  "  My  husband,"  with  a  charming  blush, 
"and  I  talked  it  over  last  night  and  decided  to 
stand  by  you  as  long  as  you  needed  us.  We 
shall  board  for  the  present,  and  maybe  when 
every  thing  is  prosperous  again  we  will  go  to 
keeping  house." 

"  You  can  not  imagine  how  I  am  helped  by 
your  faith  in  me.  The  times  will  be  better,  and 
we  shall  prosper,"  said  Belle,  her  eyes  full  of 
tears. 


344  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


XXIII. 

fe<0ul<a  iyof  be.   poucmf. 

T  was  Sunday  afternoon,  and  McFadden  had 
taken  a  line,  hooks,  and  bait,  and  gone 
down  to  the  wharves  to  fish  quietly,  and  thus 
avoid,  according  to  his  ideas,  breaking  the  Sab- 
bath. 

He  was  not  an  enthusiastic  fisherman,  and  so 
often  lost  himself  in  thought  that  the  finny 
denizens  of  the  turgid  waters  of  East  River 
had  ample  opportunity  to  steal  his  bait  without 
danger  to  themselves.  For  some  time  the 
Scotchman  had  been  unhappy  and  could  hardly 
tell  the  cause.  When  first  he  had  given  up 
the  liquor  business  he  had  felt  a  spasm  of  real 
enjoyment,  and  afterward  in  the  recognition  that 
he  received  from  the  Professor,  from  Miss  Pit- 
cairn,  and  even  from  the  stately  Governor,  had 
derived  a  deal  of  pleasure  and  sclf-gratulation. 
But  now  he  was  dissatisfied,  and  could  hardly 
tell  why ;  although  when  questioned  by  Mr. 


COULD  NOT  BE  BOUGHT.  345 

Thomas,  he  had  claimed  that  he  was  perfectly 
happy. 

"  I  had  hoped  that  you  would  give  your 
heart  to  the  Saviour  when  you  gave  up  the 
liquor  business,"  said  that  faithful  missionary. 

"  I  'm  thinkin'  aboot  it,"  was  all  the  answer 
that  he  gave,  and  the  other  went  away  to  pour 
out  his  heart  to  the  Lord,  that  this  stubborn  and 
influential  member  of  the  "Wedge"  community 
might  be  shown  his  sin  and  brought  to  the 
foot  of  the  cross. 

It  was  the  feeling  that  there  was  a  void  in 
his  heart,  an  emptiness  in  his  life,  that  had 
driven  the  hotel  keeper  to  leave  his  chosen 
companions  and  wander  off  alone  this  bright 
Sabbath  day,  to  sit,  and  fish,  and  think.  There 
had  been  in  his  past  life  little  of  good  that  he 
cared  to  dwell  upon.  Since  boyhood  he  had 
associated  himself  with  a  set  of  men  who  were 
rough,  reckless,  and  hardened,  and  he  had  be- 
come a  leader  among  them.  With  the  true 
thriftiness  of  his  race,  he  made  himself  useful 
to  many  of  them,  and  exacted  money  for  it. 
When  he  bought  the  Cosmopolitan  Hotel  he  at 
once  made  the  bar  a  most  attractive  place,  and 
derived  greater  revenue  from  this  than  from 
the  renting  of  the  rooms.  It  was  stated  in  the 
meeting  of  the  Brotherhood  that  he  was  worth 


HER  OPPORTUNITY, 


twenty  thousand  dollars,  but  had  his  accuser 
known  it,  the  sum  was  far  greater.  This  was 
much  of  it  rum  money,  and  unknown  to  others, 
that  fact  was  ever  painfully  present  with  the 
Scotchman.  Formerly  he  had  secretly  rejoiced 
that  while  his  companions  lived  from  hand  to 
mouth,  and  were  continually  pinched  for  funds, 
he  had  plenty.  It  gave  him  an  exalted  idea 
of  his  own  shrewdness  and  far-sightedness,  to 
feel  that  his  old  age  was  prepared,  for,  while 
most  of  his  associates  knew  not  where  the 
next  day's  meal  was  coming  from.  But  now  all 
was  changed.  He  got  no  comfort  from  any 
thing,  and  he  pulled  up  his  line  and  rebaited 
his  hook  for  the  twentieth  time,  groaning,  — 

"  It  's   na   use,    I    canna   give   it   up  !  " 

Hour  after  hour  he  sat,  and  at  last  the  lights 
began  to  twinkle  from  across  the  water  on  the 
Brooklyn  side,  and  evening  had  fairly  set  in. 
Mechanically  he  rolled  up  his  line  and  went 
home,  pondering  the  while,  and  occasionally 
shaking  his  head,  and  ejaculating,  "  I  canna  do 
it."  On  one  occasion  OToole  heard  this  expres- 
sion, and  asked  bluntly,  — 

"  What   is   it   yez   can't   do  ?  " 

There  was  no  reply,  except  a  sad  shake  of 
the  head,  as  the  Scotchman  walked  slowly 
away. 


COULD  NOT  BE  BOUGHT.  347 


"  I  'm  bound  ter  belave  that  McFadden  is 
goin'  crazy,"  said  the  Irishman. 

"  He  misses  his  licker.  It  's  dangerous  fur  a 
man  of  his  age  to  give  it  up  so  sudden,"  said 
a  lodger,  whose  deep-dyed  physiognomy  implied 
a  doubt  as  to  his  giving  up  liquor  with  any 
great  degree  of  suddenness. 

In  the  midst  of  these  perplexing  doubts  the 
sufferer  sought  the  Professor,  and  handing  him 
a  package  of  papers,  said,  — 

"  Professor,  theer  's  the  savin'  o'  a  life  time, 
the  greater  part  o'  it  bein'  rum  money.  I  luve 
it  as  I  do  naething  else  in  the  warld,  but  I  'm 
willin'  to  gie  it  a'  that  I  may  gain  etarnal  life." 

"  Forty  thousand  dollars,"  said  the  gentleman, 
slowly.  "  It  is  n't  enough  for  the  purpose." 

"  I  suppose  not ;  it 's  but  a  sma'  sum  after 
a',"  was  the  discouraged  reply. 

"  No,  it 's  not  enough.  No  man  on  earth  has 
enough  money  to  purchase  eternal  life.  The 
gifts  of  God  are  not  for  sale,  and  eternal  life 
is  to  be  had  for  the  asking.  'Believe  on  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved.'  That  is 
all,  —  repent,  believe,  and  then  follow  the  Master's 
commands  as  closely  as  you  can." 

The  other  listened  with  an  anxiety  that  proved 
his  sincerity ;  yet  to  his  sin-clouded  mind,  the 
way  did  not  seem  as  plaim  as  it  might. 


34^  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

"  Yes,  I  ken  a'  that,  but  what  '11  I  do  ? "  he 
asked. 

"  Nothing ! " 

"  Naething  ?     Hoot,    mon,   yeer   mockin'    me." 

"  Indeed,  I  'm  not ;  I  am  just  trying  to  have 
you  grasp  the  fact  that  all  has  been  done. 
Christ  shed  His  blood  for  you  on  Calvary. 
There  is  no  penance  to  endure,  no  price  for 
you  to  pay,  because  He  paid  the  debt.  All 
that  you  can  do  is  to  accept." 

"  I  'm  willin'  tae  accept,"  murmured  McFad- 
den,  the  great  tears  gathering  in  his  eyes. 

Kneeling,  the  Professor  prayed  earnestly  and 
simply  that  the  Lord  would  come  into  the 
willing  heart  and  abide  there,  and  before  the 
petition  was  finished,  McFadden  was  sobbing 
and  praising  God  that  he  had  found  salvation. 

"The  light  hae  coom  ! "  he  exclaimed,  his 
face  beaming  with  joy.  "The  deil  had  spreed 
a  veil  over  my  face,  that  I  couldna  see,  but 
the  Loord  hae  toorn  it  asunder,  an'  the  light 
has  streamed  in  till  my  hart  is  fti'  of  gladness. 
An'  I  thought  that  I  could  buy  this  happiness 
for  forty  thousand  dollars,  puir  fule  that  I  was ; 
why,  a  million  wouldna  tampt  me  to  part  wi'  it." 

"  I  am  very  glad,"  said  the  Professor,  wiping 
his  eyes.  "  There  have  been  many  prayers  sent 
up  for  you,  and  now  they  are  answered.  I 


COULD  NOT  BE  BOUGHT.  349 

you  will  be  a  true  soldier  of  the  cross,  and 
that  this  neighborhood  may  be  much  the  better 
for  your  presence  here." 

"  Eh,  theer  's  just  the  point.  Hoo  can  I 
make  mysel'  o'  use  ?  My  thought  was  to  gie 
the  money  tae  the  Mission  that  I  maun  gain 
salvation ;  but  I  see  noo  that  money  canna 
buy  joy  like  this.  What  can  I  do  ? "  said  the 
convert  earnestly. 

"  I  should  hardly  care  to  answer  such  a 
question  hastily,"  replied  the  other.  "  But  I  will 
tell  you  of  a  thought  that  has  occurred  to  me 
more  than  once.  At  the  corner  of  Van  Alstyne 
and  Midnight  Streets  is  a  saloon  that  has  con- 
nected with  it  the  large  hall  used  formerly  by 
your  labor  club.  Now  that  is  just  the  place, 
cleaned  and  renovated,  that  could  be  made  into 
a  temperance  garden  for  men.  You  comprehend, 
—  a  beer  garden  without  the  beer,  —  a  room 
where  they  could  congregate  evenings  and  talk 
over  the  news  of  the  day,  read  the  papers, 
listen  to  good  music,  and  enjoy  temperance 
drinks  and  light  lunches." 

The  listener  leaped  to  his  feet,  clapping  his 
hands  together  with  an  emphasis  of  gladness 
that  proved  his  appreciation  of  the  thought. 

"It  is  the  verra  thing  needed.  I  can  see  it 
a*.  The  hall  noo  is  fitted  for  it.  We'  11  hae  a 


350  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 


place  where  instud  o'  selling  poison,  we  '11  sell 
what  '11  refresh.  Instud  o'  furnishing  music 
that 's  a'  for  the  deil,  we  '11  hae  an  orchestra 
that  can  play  Auld  Hundred  and  some  o'  the 
sacred  music  o'  the  day.  It 's  a  grand  plan.  I 
hae  a  gude  mind  to  apply  for  a  patent  on  it." 

"  Suppose  you  see  Miss  Pitcairn,  and  tell  her 
your  plans.  No  doubt  she  could  give  you  many 
practical  hints  as  to  the  best  course  of  action. 
In  starting  such  an  enterprise,  it  seems  to  me 
most  important  that  it  should,  as  far  as  possi- 
ble, be  so  managed  as  to  pay  expenses.  It  is 
a  grand  good  plan  to  make  any  enterprise  as 
permanent  as  it  can  be,  which  end  can  not  be 
attained,  unless  it  is  established  on  a  sound, 
business  basis." 

The  gentleman  paused,  his  handsome  face 
lighted  with  interest,  while  his  companion  said, — 

"Na  doot  ye  are  reet.  I  will  be  lavish  an' 
yet  carefu',  an'  will  be  glad  tae  lerrn  a'  I  can 
fra  sae  successfu'  a  warker  as  Miss  Pitcairn. 
I  hae  kenned  lang  that  she  was  the  ain  wha 
has  dune  sae  much  for  this  pairt  o'  the  city. 
It 's  as  grand  a  wark  as  e'er  was  dune." 

Full  of  zeal  in  the  new  project  .that  was  to 
utilize  the  liquor  money  in  doing  good,  McFadden 
promptly  purchased  the  good-will  and  lease  of 
the  saloon  and  beer  garden,  taking  care  to  learn 


COULD  NOT  BE  BOUGHT,  35  * 


the  names  and  addresses  of  the  best  customers. 
He  then  set  a  force  of  men  at  work  tearing 
out  old  partitions,  painting,  kalsomining,  and  gen- 
erally renovating  the  whole  lower  floor. 

While  this  was  in  progress  he  found  opportu- 
nity to  call  on  Miss  Pitcairn,  going  to  Harlem 
for  the  purpose.  He  was  kindly  received,  and 
in  his  broad  Scotch  with  infinite  gusto  related 
his  plan  for  the  "Garden." 

"  I  must  compliment  you  upon  your  originality 
in  conceiving  such  a  plan.  It  gives  every  prom- 
ise of  success,  and  will,  I  doubt  not,  be  a  source 
of  much  good,"  said  Belle. 

"Dinna  compleement  me,  for  it  wasna  my  idea 
at  a'.  It  was  the  suggestion  o'  a  mon  the  tie 
o'  whose  shoon  I  am  na  worthy  tae  fasten," 
was  the  reply. 

"  Indeed  !  " 

"Yes,  a  mon  who  has  had  it  in  his  power 
for  a  long  time  past  tae  hae  me  arrested  for 
conspeeracy,  but  wha  has,  wi'  a  nobleness  a'  his 
own,  never  said  a  word  that  could  injure  me," 
continued  the  Scotchman,  his  face  lighted  by  a 
glow  of  honest  admiration. 

"That  is  quite  remarkable,"  said  Belle,  with 
growing  interest. 

"  It  is.  You  see,  I  was  the  founder  o'  a 
Socialist  order,  and  ain  neet  word  came  that  a 


352  tiER  OPPORTUNITY. 

mon  who  had  inj cored  many  o'  our  members 
wus  in  the  vicinity  o'  our  lodge.  We  sent  out 
a  spy  and  managed  tae  trap  him  and  bring  him 
into  our  meetin'.  Then  we  started  tae  try  him, 
an'  it  would  hac  gone  hard  wi'  him  —  I  do  n't 
say  that  we  wuld  exactly  hae  killed  him,  but  he 
would  hae  been  pretty  weel  hammered.  We  were 
about  half  through  the  trial,  when  in  came  a 
brother  wha  recognized  the  mon  as  not  being 
the  ain  we  thocht  he  waur.  Then,  you  ken,  we 
were  in  a  pickle.  A'  we  could  do  wus  tae 
foorce  this  mon  to  take  an  oath  that  he  wouldna 
divulge  what  he  had  seen.  When  it  kem  to  that, 
however,  he  wus  set  as  yer  please,  and  would 
do  na  sic  a  thing.  Whate'cr  we  said  had  nae 
effect,  for  he  stood  cool  and  calm,  and  dinna 
appear  to  fear  the  lot  o'  us,  mair  than  if  we 
had  been  bairns.  We  threetened  him  weel,  but  it 
dinna  move  him,  and  at  last  we  decided  to  keep 
him  preesenor  until  he  waur  willin'  tae  do  as 
we  bid." 

The  narrator  paused  and  wiped  his  brow  with 
an  enormous  handkerchief,  as  if  the  story  was 
not  entirely  pleasant  to  him,  and  yet  was  forced 
from  his  lips  by  a  desire  to  unburden  his  con- 
science. 

"He  was  certainly  very  brave  to  defy  you 
all,"  murmured  Belle. 


COULD  NOT  BE  BOUGHT.  353 

"  Aye,  he  waur  brave,  an'  he  did  this  for 
conscience'  sake.  Weel,  we  keppit  him  prees- 
enor  six  hours,  an'  then  I  took  the  responsibility 
on  mysel'  an'  let  him  go  without  any  promise, 
for  I  believe  he  would  hae  had  us  a'  by  the 
ears  if  I  keppit  him  much  longer." 

"What   did   he   do?" 

"Eh,  he  preached  tae  us,  an'  talked  temper- 
ance, till  I  felt  as  if  I  were  in  the  deil's  own 
business  in  sellin'  rum.  I  let  him  gang  awa' 
wi'out  promise,  because  in  another  day  he  would 
hae  made  a  baby  o'  me,  an'  had  me  the  laughin' 
stock  o'  the  men,  so  I  thought,  fule  that  I  wus. 
Sin'  that  he  has  been  round  mony  the  time,  an 
has  never  failed  to  speak  a  word  for  the  reet, 
an'  neet  before  the  last  he  it  was  who  pointed 
me  tae  the  Saviour  o'  the  warld,  an'  I  'm  gloryin' 
in  the  sure  knowledge  that  my  sins  are  for- 
given." 

McFadden  paused  and  wiped  his  eyes,  that 
were  streaming  with  happy  tears,  and  said, — 

"  You  11  pardon  an  auld  mon,  Miss,  but  the 
Loord's  luve  for  a  reeprobate  like  me  melts  me 
a'  to  tears." 

"  I  am  very  glad,  Mr.  McFadden,  that  you 
have  found  the  Saviour,"  said  Belle.  "  If  you 
carry  out  plans  in  His  strength  there  can  be  no 
failure  for  them  If  it  would  do  no  harm,  I 


354  HER  OPPORTUNITY 

wish  you  would  tell  me  the  name  of  the  noble 
man  who  was  the  means  of  bringing  you  to  the 
Lord." 

"O,  nae  harm  at  a'.  I  had  nae  doot  ye  would 
at  once  recognize  him.  It  was  Professor  Book- 
ingham." 

"  Professor  Buckingham,"  said  the  lady,  in 
amazement ;  "  why  did  he  never  let  us  know,  I 
wonder  ?  " 

"  He  tal,  Mem  ?  He  's  ain  o'  them  heroes  what 
will  do  a  great  deed  and  blush  to  find  that 
folk  ken  it.  He  spends  nae  time  in  blowin'  his 
ain  troompet,  nor  advertisin'  his  ain  gude 
deeds,"  replied  the  other,  with  enthusiasm. 

"  You  are  right.  He  does  not  talk  of  himself 
or  his  own  deeds,  nor  encourage  others  to  do 
so.  He  is  a  noble  man,  indeed,  and  I  am  glad 
that  you  told  me  this,"  responded  Belle,  in  a 
low  voice. 


ON  DEMAND.  355 


XXIV. 


*E  left  Betteredge  in  Mr.  Crittenden's  private 
office,  in  a  surly  mood  indeed,  that  he 
should  be  set  aside  for  callers,  no  matter  what 
their  errand  might  be.  He  heard  the  gentle- 
man's dismayed  exclamation  that  his  caller  was 
Professor  Buckingham,  but  it  did  not  occur  to 
him  at  the  moment  that  his  advent  would  affect 
his  special  errand. 

"Glad  to  see  you,  Mr.  Buckingham,"  Mr. 
Crittenden  had  said,  with  a  weak  attempt  at 
cordiality. 

With  courtly  grace  the  Professor  turned  and 
introduced  his  companion,  who  was  none  other 
than  Miss  Murdock.  Seeing  the  look  of  surprise 
on  the  real  estate  agent's  -face,  the  gentleman 
added,  — 

"Miss  Murdock  represents  the  manufacturer  of 
whom  I  spoke  to  you,  and  wishes  to  consider 
the  question  of  the  lease  of  the  brewery  prop- 
erty." 


HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


"Very  happy,  I'm  sure,"  murmured  Mr.  Crit- 
tenden,  unhappily. 

"No  doubt  you  are  ready  to  state  exactly 
upon  what  terms  you  will  erect  the  building  for 
Miss  Pitcairn  ? "  continued  the  gentleman. 

"  Is  the  Governor's  daughter  to  be  the  lessee  ?  " 
inquired  Crittenden,  with  a  gasp,  although  it 
only  verified  a  former  shrewd  guess. 

"  Yes,  and  she  has  given  her  representative 
full  powers  to  close  a  contract  with  you." 

"  Miss  Pitcairn  knows  how  anxious  I  am  to 
serve  her,  but  —  but  —  I  find  myself  singularly 
embarrassed,"  said  Mr.  Crittenden.  "The  fact  is, 
I  find  myself  growing  old,  and  I  have  bursts  of 
enthusiasm  that  last  for  the  moment,  and  then 
leave  me  completely  robbed  of  nervous  vitality." 

"  Will  this  loss  of  nervous  vitality  prevent  your 
keeping  your  promise?"  inquired  the  Professor, 
a  trifle  sternly,  while  Miss  Murdock,  keen  little 
business  woman  that  she  had  grown  to  be,  sat 
silently  weighing  each  sentence,  and  noting  every 
look  of  the  real  estate  man. 

"  I  have  about  decided  to  put  the  whole  mat- 
ter into  the  hands  of  my  son,  and  go  away  for 
a  while  to  recuperate." 

"You  will  at  least  give  us  the  refusal  of  the 
land  until  you  may  return  ? "  said  Miss  Murdock. 

"I   fear    that    would     be    hardly    business-like," 


ON  DEMAND*  357 

replied  the  other,  with  a  sickly  smile.  "  Suppose 
some  other  customer  should  come  along  who  in- 
tends to  put  up  a —  a " 

"Brewery?"    interjected   the   Professor. 

"A  sugar  refinery  or  a  flour  mill,  and  who 
would  give  twice  the  price  you  offer,  what  a 
loser  I  should  be !  " 

"  There  is  but  one  line  of  business  \vith  which 
I  am  acquainted  that  can  afford  to  pay  twice 
the  rent  that  other  industries  pay,"  said  Miss 
Murdock,  sagely. 

"  I  am  only  supposing  a  case,"  said  Mr.  Crit- 
tenden. 

"  By  the  way,  Governor  Pitcairn  wished  me  to 
say  that  he  should  consider  it  a  personal  favor 
if  you  would  settle  this  matter  to-day,"  continues 
the  Professor. 

"I  am  not  in  a  fit  state  to  do  business,"  re- 
plied the  other,  an  obstinate  look  coming  into 
his  eyes. 

The  Professor  sat  back  calmly  watching  him, 
and  wondering  if  he  had  better  push  the  matter 
then,  or  wait  until  another  day.  The  man  cer- 
tainly did  look  ill,  and  who  could  tell  but  he 
might  be  suffering  from  a  mild  attack  of  ner- 
vous prostration,  that  made  business  an  impossi- 
bility ?  At  the  same  time  a  shrewd  intuition  told 
the  young  man  that  he  had  once  failed  when  he 


358  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

had  promised  to  renovate  the  brewery,  and  that 
it  was  quite  possible  the  same  means  that  had 
triumphed  before  were  being  again  brought  to 
bear  on  this  pious  lover  of  money. 

"  Governor  Pitcairn  also  told  me  to  say  that 
he  should  be  obliged  to  reconsider  his  promise 
to  sell  the  Harlem  property  if  you  allowed  the 
rum  faction  again  to  secure  this  piece  of 
ground,"  said  the  visitor  in  the  same  even 
tones. 

The  last  shjt  was  effectual,  for  the  gentleman 
turned  white,  and  without  another  word  opened 
a  desk,  and  drawing  out  paper  and  pens  began 
to  write.  Before  he  had  finished,  the  door  to 
the  little  room  where  the  first  caller  had  been 
sequestered  burst  violently  open,  and  "Big  Tom" 
strode  out,  his  eyes  flaming  with  fury. 

"  Look  here,  you  hound ! "  he  growled  in  a 
tense  voice  that  was  more  appalling  than  a  louder 
tone,  "don't  you  dare  to  sign  that  paper,  or 
I'll  kill  you!" 

Mr.  Crittenden,  cowering  in  extreme  fright  be- 
fore the  wrath  of  the  giant,  almost  sobbed  aloud, 
while  the  Professor  stepped  quickly  forward  to 
prevent  violence. 

"Go  on,  Mr.  Crittenden,"  said  the  young  ath- 
lete, facing  the  bully,  while  his  broad  shoulders 
screened  the  other  from  his  wrath. 


ON  DEMAND.  359 


"  Stand  out  o'  my  way,"  said  Betteredge, 
drawing  back  for  a  tremendous  blow. 

Quietly  the  other  faced  him,  looking  into  the 
wild  eyes  with  so  cairn  a  gaze,  one  so  full  of 
confidence  and  so  utterly  devoid  of  fear,  that  the 
aggressor  did  not  deliver  the  blow,  but  dropped 
his  hands,  apprehending  that  the  other  "had 
science,"  and  that  he  would  fare  badly  in  a 
set-to  with  him. 

Meanwhile  the  boy  had  been  dispatched  by 
Miss  Murdock  for  an  officer,  who  stood  not  a 
rod  away  from  the  outside  door,  and  who  re- 
sponded with  alacrity,  entering  the  room  just  as 
the  enraged  man,  his  courage  returning,  was 
about  to  spring  upon  the  young  Professor  and 
risk  a  hand-to-hand  encounter. 

"Shall  I  put  him  out?"  asked  the  officer, 
swinging  his  club  suggestively. 

"Not  yet.  Have  you  signed  that  document, 
Mr.  Crittenden  ? "  inquired  the  Professor. 

"  Yes,"    was   the   low   response. 

"Well,  I  will  be  glad  to  read  it  for  the  bene- 
fit of  our  friend,  who  is,  I  take  it,  a  represen- 
tative of  the  rum  power,"  he  continued ;  but 
Betteredge,  with  a  muttered  curse,  strode  out  of 
the  apartnent,  and  shutting  the  door  with  a 
crash,  was  gone. 

After   his   departure,  it   required   but  a  few  mo- 


360  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

ments  to  finish  the  preliminaries  of  the  business, 
and  then,  with  all  of  his  kindly  courtesy,  the 
Professor  escorted  Miss  Murdock  to  her  home 
and  turned  again  down  town. 

"  "  Professor,  old  fellow,  how  are  you  ?"  called 
a  hearty  voice,  as  he  was  passing  rapidly  down 
Broadway.  At  this  hail  he  turned  and  saw  his 
friend  and  college  mate,  Jack  Armitage,  a  young 
man  noted  chiefly  as  being  a  "precious  good 
fellow,"  and  "  husband  of  the  lovely  Mrs.  Armi- 
tage." 

"  Glad  to  see  you,  Armitage,"  said  the  other, 
slipping  an  arm  through  his  and  moving  in  the 
direction  in  which  he  had  been  going.  "What 
are  you  doing  to  kill  time  nowadays  ?  Playing 
billiards  at  the  club,  or  have  you  fulfilled  your 
threat  and  reformed  ? " 

"  Well,  I  have  n't  reformed  exactly,  but  I 
do  n't  play  as  much  as  I  did,  'pon  my  honor, 
I  do  n't.  You  know,  I  always  was  a  lazy  chap, 
even  at  school  ? "  was  the  good-humored  reply. 

"  A  man  with  your  abilities  ought  to  be 
making  himself  felt  somewhere,"  said  the  Pro- 
fessor, a  bit  sadly,  looking  into  the  handsome 
face  that  was  already  lined  by  dissipation. 

"O,  I  do  some  good,"  returned  the  other 
nonchalantly.  "Now  there  is  a  friend  of  mine, 
a  prime  good  fellow,  who  has  always  done  all 


ON  DEMAND.  361 


he  could  to  help  others.  He  is  in  danger  of 
being  wrecked  financially  by  a  Wall-street 
schemer,  and  I  am  on  the  watch  to  give  him 
a  hint  of  his  danger." 

"Good!"  exclaimed  his  friend  heartily.  "You 
could  n't  do  better,  although  if  he  has  dipped 
Jnto  speculation  I  doubt  if  your  warning  will 
be  effectual.  Well,  I  must  hurry  along.  Shall 
I  say  good-bye?" 

"  Not  quite  yet  until  you  hear  a  trifle  more 
of  my  disinterested  kindness  in  regard  to  this 
old  classmate  of  mine.  I  want  you  to  exactly 
understand  in  what  danger  he  stands,  and  how 
obtuse  he  is  about  hints  that  are  thrown  out 
to  him,"  said  Armitage,  chewing  the  end  of  a 
cigar  reflectively. 

"Very  well,  say  on,  Jack,  but  please  remember 
I  am  in  a  hurry." 

"  To  hurry  away  before  I  tell  you  all  about 
this  friend  of  mine  would  be  costly  economy," 
said  the  club  man,  looking  straight  into  the 
other's  eyes  with  an  expression  that  could  not 
be  misunderstood. 

"  Go  on ! "  said  the  Professor,  suddenly  all 
attention. 

"  This  friend  of  mine  owns  certain  stock, 
which  has,  during  the  past  week,  dropped  a 
number  of  points,  and  is  still  steadily  declining, 


362  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

although  apparently  without  cause.  When  it 
reaches  its  lowest  point  a  loan  that  he  has 
negotiated  will  be  called  in,  and  to  meet  it  he 
must  sell  his  stock  at  so  great  a  sacrifice  that 
he  will  be  practically  a  poor  man." 

"  When  is  this  loan  to  be  called  in  ? "  asked 
the  listener,  a  trifle  pale,  but  with  a  calmness 
that  won  the  admiration  of  his  friend. 

"To-morrow  at  ten  o'clock.  I  wish  I  could 
have  got  you  word  before  this,  old  man,  but 
news  only  just  came  to  me  through  a  relative, 
and  I  have  been  hunting  for  you  all  day.  I 
have  a  few  thousand  to  spare  if  you  need  them, 
but  not  nearly  enough.  If  you  have  any  power- 
ful friend,  now  is  the  time  to  test  him." 

"  I  can  not  tell  you  how  much  I  value  this 
expression  of  your  friendship,"  said  the  Professor, 
grasping  the  other's  hand.  "You  are  right,  if 
ever  a  man  needed  a  powerful  friend  I  need 
one  now.  How  glad  I  am  that  I  have  such  a 
friend ! " 

Jack's  face  lighted  up  with  pleasure  as  he 
said  heartily,  — 

"Then  you  will  be  carried  through  all  right, 
and  mighty  glad  I  am  too.  Good-bye,  old  fellow, 
and  good  luck." 

Had  the  gent  eman  been  quick  enough  to  ex- 
plain that  the  Friend  to  whom  he  referred  with. 


ON  DEMAND.  363 


such  confidence  was  none  other  than  he  whom 
all  Christians  lean  upon,  it  would  have  pro- 
voked a  careless  smile,  or  skeptical  jest;  yet  the 
Professor  was  n  >ne  the  less  in  earnest.  So 
strong  was  his  faith  since  he  had  seen  what 
the  Lord  could  do,'  and  was  willing  to  do,  in  a 
place  like  the  "  Wedge,"  that  nothing  seemed 
impossible.  It  would  be  a  great  blow  to  him 
to  lose  his  property  just  when  he  was  fairly 
started  in  life.  There  were  many  enterprises 
that  he  wished  to  further  by  its  aid ;  many  a 
good  cause  that  he  planned  to  assist,  and  he 
did  not  believe  that  it  was  the  Lord's  will 
that  a  hidden  enemy  should  despoil  him  of  his 
patrimony,  which  had  been  won  in  honest  busi- 
ness by  a  line  of  godly,  industrious  ancestors. 
He  felt,  indeed,  that  he  had  a  powerful  Friend, 
and  hurrying  home  he  shut  himself  in  his  library, 
and  kneeling,  asked  fervently  for  the  help  that 
must  come  before  the  morrow  at  ten. 

When  he  arose  it  was  with  a  feeling  of  vic- 
tory and  peace  such  as  he  never  before  had 
enjoyed.  It  was  as  if  a  promise  had  been 
spoken.  So  sure,  so  definite,  that  he  could  no 
longer  doubt,  and  thrilled  with  thanksgiving  and 
happiness,  he  broke  into  song,  his  rich  baritone 
filling  the  apartment  with  the  melody  of  the 
hymn,  "Jesus,  Lover  of  My  Soul."  As  he  finished 


364  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

the  verse  the  door  opened,  and  Governor  Pit- 
cairn  came  in  with  face  radiant  and  eyes  full 
of  tears. 

"Bless  your  heart,  my  boy,"  he  said,  "I 
could  n't  stop  to  knock,  for  your  song  filled  me 
with  such  great  gladness.  It  seemed  as  if  the 
Lord  was  present  with  you,  and  I  wanted  my 
share  of  His  blessing." 

"  He  is  here  and  has  blessed  me,"  replied  the 
young  man. 

"That's  grand;  I  came  over  to  see  you  to 
gratify  a  whim.  This  afternoon  I  was  thinking, 
and  some  way  my  thoughts  centering  on  you,  I 
began  to  feel  that  you  were  in  trouble.  Now, 
I  'm  not  a  bit  superstitious,  but  do  what  I 
would  I  could  n't  shake  the  idea  off,  so  I  sat 
at  the  window  and  watched  for  you  to  come  from 
down  town.  As  soon  as  I  saw  you  I  knew  I  was 
right :  your  face,  your  walk,  your  whole  bearing 
showed  it.  So,  as  soon  as  I  could,  I  came  over 
here,  and  behold,  I  find  you  glowing  with  hap- 
piness and  singing  with  such  joy  in  your  tones 
that  it  made  a  Gospel-hardened  old  soldier  like 
myself  weep.  Has  the  trouble  vanished?" 

"  It  will  come  all  right,  of  that  I  am  assured," 
replied  the  Professor. 

"  Tell  me  all  about  it.  How  do  you  know  but 
what  I  was  sent  to  help  you  out?"  said  the  Gov-s 


ON  DEMAND. 


ernor,  settling  himself  into  a  large  easy  chair, 
and  completely  filling  it  with  his  portly  form. 

Thus  adjured,  the  other  told  the  whole  story 
simply  and  in  a  straightforward  manner,  and  the 
Governor  listened  attentively,  now  and  then  put- 
ting a  question.  When  he  had  finished,  he  said, 
with  an  air  of  paternal  kindness,  — 

"  Now,  my  lad,  listen  to  me.  The  loan  that 
you  negotiated  is  to  be  the  instrument  that  will 
do  the  damage.  I  will  assume  the  loan  if  you 
wish,  and  you  can  hold  your  stock  until  it  goes 
up  again,  which  it  is  sure  to  do." 

"  It  will  be  the  salvation  of  my  fortune  if  you 
will  do  so,"  said  the  Professor,  with  feeling. 

"All  right;  to-morrow  .when  the  loan  is  called 
come  down  to  the  bank,  and  the  money  will  be 
ready  for  you.  Be  sure  your  receipts  are  all 
right,"  said  the  Governor,  rising  and  going  as  far 
as  the  door,  then  turning  about  and  coming  back, 
put  his  hands  on  the  young  man's  shoulders,  and 
said,  — 

"  Buckingham,  we  Christians  are  a  queer  set. 
We  find  it  very  difficult  to  believe  that  God  is 
leading  us  and  directing  our  steps,  and  yet  He 
keeps  right  on  showing  us  the  path.  I  believe 
that  He  sent  me  over  here  this  afternoon  to  help 
you  out  of  this  scrape.  And  I  am  going  to  keep 
on  believing  it,  and  if,  by -and  bye,  I  get  a  bit 


366  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

cold  and  worldly,  and  begin  to  think  it  is  all 
luck,  I  want  you  to  come  ard  remind  me  of 
what  I  am  saying  now." 

True  to  the  words  of  the  friendly  warning  came 
the  money-lender  on  the  following  day,  and  asked 
for  the  payment  of  the  loan. 

"But  is  this  not  a  very  sudden  demand,  Mr. 
Ashcroft  ? "  was  the  inquiry. 

"Possibly,  but  when  I  let  you  have  the  mone} 
it  was  to  be  payable  on  demand,  and  the  time 
has  come  when  I  must  have  it." 

Unconsciously  the  man  adopted  an  aggressive 
tone,  that  showed  he  expected  to  find  his  victim 
off  his  guard,  yet  one  who  would  not  yield 
without  a  struggle. 

"You  mean  that  your  house  is  in  need  of 
this  money  at  once  ? "  said  the  Professor,  with 
a  piercing  look. 

"  I  mean,"  replied  the  other,  doggedly,  "  that 
we  shall  collect  this  money,  or  force  a  sale  of 
your  stock  held  by  our  bank  as  collateral,  as 
soon  as  the  necessary  steps  can  be  taken." 

"Do  you  realize  that  such  a  step  would  in- 
volve me  in  great  pecuniary  loss  ? " 

The  man  gathered  up  his  papers,  saying  coldly 
and  impatiently,  — 

"  I  am  to  understand,  then,  that  payment  is 
refused?" 


ON  DEMA.VD.  3$? 


"  One  moment,  if  you  please.  My  grandfather, 
my  father,  and  I  myself  have  had  large  deal- 
ings with  your  firm.  If  I  am  not  mistaken, 
during  the  panic  of  '57  my  grandfather  loaned 
your  father  a  sum  of  money  that  enabled  your 
house  to  stand  while  many  others  went  down. 
It  was  but  last  week  I  came  across  your  father's 
letter  of  gratitude.  Perhaps  it  may  not  be  in 
the  best  of  taste  for  me  to  remind  you  of  these 
facts,  but  now  might  be  the  time  to  repay  that 
trifling  favor." 

The  banker  flushed,  either  with  shame  or  an- 
ger, but  set  his  lips  only  the  tighter,  until  he 
had  swallowed  his  feelings,  when  he  replied 
harshly,  — 

"  Mr.  Buckingham,  there  were  many  things 
done  in  the  past  that  I,  as  a  business  man,  do 
not  approve.  At  present,  our  house  is  run  as  a 
commercial  enterprise,  not  as  a  charitable  institu- 
tion." 

The  Professor  rose  calmly,  with  a  look  of  such 
lofty  dignity  that  the  money  lender  fairly  quailed 
beneath  it,  saying  in  measured  tones, — 

"If  you  will  meet  me  at  the  National 

Bank  in  one  hour,  with  the  necessary  papers, 
your  demand  will  be  paid  in  full.  Shall  my 
servant  call  a  carriage  for  you,  sir  ? " 

Mr.  Ashcroft,  bewildered  by  this   promise,  which 


368  HER  OPPORTUNITY 

he  was  assured  could  not  be  bombastic,  took 
his  leave  and  was  rapidly  driven  away.  When 
well  down  the  avenue  he  turned,  and  looking 
through  the  window  in  the  rear  of  the  carriage, 
saw  the  handsome  bays  belonging  to  the  Buck- 
ingham stable  following,  with  arching  necks  and 
stately  step. 

At  the  bank  the  Professor  was  on  hand,  ex- 
actly at  the  time  named,  where  with  a  bow  to 
the  money-lender  he  at  once  proceeded  to  busi- 
ness. 

The  latter,  however,  seemed  to  be  strangely 
agitated, — so  much  so,  that  he  found  it  almost 
impossible  to  examine  the  securities  that  repre- 
senting large  sums  were  passed  over  to  cancel 
the  loan.  At  last  he  pushed  them  from  him 
and  said,  — 

"  It 's  no  use,  I  can  not  and  will  not  go  on 
with  this.  I  do  n't  want  this  money  to-day  nor 
until  you  are  perfectly  ready  to  pay  it." 

"  Be  kind  enough  to  examine  the  securities, 
and  sign  this  release  as  soon  as  convenient,  sir. 
I  am  pressed  for  time,"  was  the  only  reply, 
and  for  a  few  moments  the  work  went  on  in 
silence.  Then  the  man  broke  out  afresh,  meekly 
and  penitently  now,  — 

"  Professor  Buckingham,  will  you  listen  to  me 
for  a  moment  ? " 


ON  DEMAND. 


"  If  it  is  a  communication  of  a  business  na- 
ture," was  the  dignified  reply. 

"  Well,  sir,  I  wish  to  say  that  in  all  this  in- 
fernal meanness,  our  house  are  simply  agents. 
The  telling  of  it  will,  perhaps,  wreck  us,  but  I 
can  not  have  you  believe  that  I  willingly  injure 
the  grandson  of  the  man  who  saved  my  father 
from  financial  ruin." 

"  This  explanation  comes  rather  late  to  be 
effective,"  was  the  quiet  comment. 

"I  know  it;  I  tried  to  make  you  angry  at 
your  house'  that  my  task  might  be  more  agree- 
able, but  I  failed,  as  I  hope  I  may  always  fail 
where  such  deeds  are  to  be  done.  Can  you  for- 
give me?  Will  you  keep  this  loan?" 

"What  would  you  advise,  Governor?"  inquired 
the  Professor,  for  that  gentleman  had  come  in 
from  the  directors'  room  and  was  listening  to  the 
conversation.  After  a  moment's  thought  he  said, — 

"Do  this:  cancel  the  loan  and  accept  mine; 
and  you,  Ashcroft,  get  some  trusty  broker  to  go 
into  the  market  and  buy  up  all  of  the  stock 
that  this  hidden  enemy  unloads.  If  you  can  get 
two  good  men  who  will  buy  with  apparent  re- 
luctance, perhaps  it  will  be  better.  Understand 
me  distinctly  —  I  say  all  you  can  get.  I  shall 
be  here  at  the  bank  all  day.  Now  let  me  see 
if  you  can  be  trusted  in  this  matter." 


370  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


XXV. 

Sorr)J2)ir)0;li0r)  (|)  ui  vv'iff  eel  . 


§ELLE  PITCAIRN  sat  in  the  almost  de- 
serted store-room  of  the  Harlem  factory  wait- 
ing for  her  trusty  helper,  Sarah.  Little  by  lit- 
tle the  Box  Trust  had  secured  her  customers, 
coaxed  away  her  best  help,  and  placed  obsta- 
cles in  the  way  of  the  purchase  of  materials, 
until  the  business  was  practically  dead.  Only 
the  Governor's  credit,  and  his  fair  daughter's 
pluck,  kept  the  concern  from  a  sudden  and  in- 
glorious wind-up. 

"  If  my  daughter  chooses  to  put  a  half 
million  into  the  Harlem  project,  it  is  her  busi- 
ness and  mine,"  he  was  accustomed  to  remark 
smilingly  to  advising  friends.  "  Granting  that 
this  a  folly,  it  is  no  more  expensive  than  are 
many  others  that  New  York  encourages.  This 
has  lost  perhaps  a  thousand  dollars  a  week  dur- 
ing the  year  past,  about  what  a  good  yacht 
would  cost,  and  this  is  far  more  entertaining." 

There   was    more   than    braggadocio   in   this,   for 


THE  COMBINATION  OUTWITTED.  37 l 

the  Governor  was  exceedingly  pleased  with  the 
progress  that  his  daughter  had  made  in  reaching 
the  hearts  of  the  people,  both  at  the  mill  and 
at  the  "  Wedge,"  and  he  argued  that  even  if 
this  were  a  failure,  in  a  monetary  sense,  the 
savings  of  a  score  or  more  of  souls  might  be 
reckoned  in  with  the  assets. 

In  all  of  this  time  of  trouble  Belle  seemed 
buoyed  up  by  a  steadfast  faith  that  was  delight- 
ful. 

"  I  do  not  believe  we  shall  be  suffered  to 
meet  with  utter  failure,  papa."  she  had  said 
earnestly.  "  This  enterprise  was  started  that  I 
might  help  the  poor,  and  lead  them  to  the 
Saviour,  while  I  gave  them  easier  work  and 
better  pay,  and  I  claim  the  promise,  '  I  will 
never  leave  thee,  nor  forsake  thee.' " 

"  The  Lord  is  with  your  efforts  I  am  con- 
vinced, and  if  he  wants  me  to  open  my  purse 
wider,  I  am  willing,"  replied  the  Governor,  with 
a  look  of  affection,  and  his  daughter  felt  strength- 
ened and  gladdened  by  his  sturdy  support. 

At  this  somewhat  critical  period  in  the  for- 
tunes of  our  heroine,  came  a  new  burden, 
which  was  the  completion  of  the  great  factory 
on  the  site  of  the  old  brewery.  With  all  of 
his  talent  for  "  pushing "  matters,  Mr.  Crittenden, 
once  started  in  the  right  way,  had  hurried  this 


372  HER   OPPORTUNITY, 

along,  until  at  length  it  was  finished,  and  now 
awaited  a  tenant.  Belle  had  in  a  measure 
directed  the  arrangement  of  the  rooms,  and  the 
huge  empty  structure  that  she  had  leased  and 
that  seemed  even  to  the  Governor  more  than 
she  could  possibly  use,  now  awaited  -her  action. 

"  In  case  you  wish  to  let  the  building  until 
you  need  it  yourself,  I  think  I  can  find  a 
tenant,"  Mr.  Crittenden  had  remarked,  with  a 
keen  eye  for  business,  and  in  his  narrow,  faith- 
less little  heart,  sure  that  the  Governor's 
daughter  was  "  stuck." 

"Thank  you,"  Belle  had  said  vaguely,  an  I  he 
had  departed  more  than  ever  certain  that  she 
did  n't  know  her  own  mind,  or  else  was  too 
proud  to  own  up  that  she  was  fairly  beaten. 

And  so  the  great  building  stood  empty  for 
several  weeks,  and  the  Harlem  mill  was  almost 
"  shut  down,"  and  about  all  the  life  there  was 
to  any  of  Miss  Pitcairn's  enterprises  was  the 
daily  meetings  at  the  Gospel  Common,  and  the 
changes  that  were  quietly  taking  place  in  the 
old  warehouse. 

Miss  Pitcairn  waiting  in  the  store-room  of  the 
mill,  which  we  mentioned  in  the  first  paragraph 
of  this  chapter,  was  rewarded  by  the  appearance 
of  Sarah  in  due  season,  and  soon  after  by  one 
after  another  of  the  old  hands.  Finally,  when 


THE  COMBINATION  OUTWITTED.  373 

the  number  was  complete,  the  doors  were  shut, 
and  all  with  one  accord  knelt  for  a  moment  in 
silent  prayer,  and  then  rising  were  seated  fac- 
ing a  tiny  desk  that  had  been  moved  in  from 
the  office.  Belle  was  the  first  to  break  the 
silence,  — 

"  It  is  three  months  now,"  she  said,  in  a 
quiet,  cultivated  voice,  "  since  we  have  met  here 
twice  a  week  to  pray  that  if  it  is  God's  will  we 
may  have  the  victory  over  this  wicked  combina- 
tion, and  our  prayers  do  not  appear  to  be 
answered.  Yet  my  faith  has  never  been  stronger. 
Indeed,  I  am  sure  God  will  hear  and  will  help 
Sarah  will  you  read  us  His  promise  ? " 

"  'Again  I  say  unto  you,  if  two  of  you  shall 
agree  as  touching  any  thing  on  earth,  it  shall 
be  done,'"  read  the  young  woman,  and  the  faces 
of  the  listeners  assumed  a  fresh  look  of  assur- 
ance. 

"  Are   we   not   agreed  ?  "   asked   Belle. 

"Yes,   yes,"   came   the   low,    earnest  responses. 

"Then  the  victory  is  ours.  There  can  be  no 
doubt  about  it.  What  is  it,  Jessie?" 

Slender,  fair  haired  Mrs.  Conlon  had  risen, 
and  stood  waiting  to  speak. 

"You  remarked  at  the  last  meeting  that  even 
while  we  prayed  we  should  try  and  do  all  we 
could?" 


374  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

"Yes." 

"Well,  last  night  as  I  prayed  that  your 
efforts  to  help  the  girls  might  not  be  frustrate^ 
by  any  thing,  and  that  the  work  might  start 
up,  I  kept  thinking  of  the  big  piles  of  paper 
boxes  that  stood  in  the  packing-room.  At  first 
it  seemed  wrong  for  me  to  let  my  thoughts 
stray,  and  I  fought  against  it,  and  tried  my 
best  to  keep  my  mind  right  on  my  prayer, 
but  the  more  I  tried  the  worse  off  I  was,  and 
finally  I  gave  right  up,  and  on  my  knees  by 
the  bed  let  my  mind  do  as  it  pleased.  And 
my  thoughts  stayed  right  in  the  packing-room 
with  the  big  crates  of  boxes.  It  seemed  so 
needless  to  have  a  few  hundred  boxes  take  up 
so  much  room.  There  they  were  empty,  and 
yet  taking  up  as  much  room  as  if  they  had 
been  full.  Then,  too,  I  could  see  how  it  must 
trouble  store  men  who  had  only  a  little  space, 
and  it  seemed  as  if  they  were  like  square-  egg 
shells  all  ready  to  smash." 

"They  are,"  said  one  of  the  old  hands. 
"Lots  of  'em  git  broken  and  thrown  away." 

"  So  I  began  studying  how  I  could  make  a 
box  that  when  it  was  empty  would  not  take 
up  so  much  room,  nor  break  so  easily,  and  I 
couldn't  fetch  out  any  thing  at  all,  till  finally 
I  just  prayed  God  that  if  He  pleased  I  'd  like 


THE   COMBINATION  OUTWITTED.  3 75 

to  know  whether  the  thing  could  be  done. 
Then  I  got  a  box  and  cut  it  to  pieces  and  put 
it  together,  and  pretty  soon  I  brought  out  this." 

Every  eye  was  on  her  as  she  drew  out  what 
seemed  to  be  a  small  square  of  card-board,  and 
turning  up  one  side  gave  it  a  smart  rap  in  the 
centre,  and  behold  a  complete  box. 

"  A   folding   box,"    exclaimed   the  girls. 

"  Yes,  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  let  the  sides 
down  and  it  takes  only  about  one-fifth  as  much 
room,  and  is  much  stronger,"  replied  the  little 
lady. 

"  I  believe  our  prayers  are  answered,"  said 
Belle,  reverently.  "  This  certainly  will  take  the 
place  in  a  host  of  cases  of  the  ordinary  box. 
If  we  can  secure  the  invention  before  the  trust 
know  about  it,  we  can  fill  the  new  mill  with 
hands  at  good  wages,  and  defy  any  combination." 

That  very  evening  the  whole  party,  full  of 
this  secret,  repaired  to  the  Governor's  residence 
and  took  him  into  their  counsels.  He  was  less 
enthusiastic  until  he  knew  there  was  nothing  of 
the  kind  in  the  market,  and  then  he  allowed 
that  it  was  of  great  value.  At  his  suggestion 
patent  papers  were  drawn  giving  the  Van  Als- 
tyne  Manufacturing  Company  the  right  to  make 
it,  and  allowing  Mrs.  Conlon  a  good  royalty. 

By   the   time    the    papers    were    drawn    all   was 


HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


ready  to  move  the  machinery  of  the  Harlem  mill 
down  to  the  "Wedge,"  and  set  it  up  with  sev- 
eral new  machines  designed  to  partly  make  the 
folding  boxes.  When  the  first-named  mill  prepared 
to  close  its  doors,  there  was  great  rejoicing 
among  the  other  box  manufacturers,  and  Moses 
Cohen,  in  the  fullness  of  his  joy,  called  all  of 
the  help  he  had  stolen  from  Belle  into  his 
office,  and  made  this  characteristic  speech,  — 

"Say,  maybe  you  dinks  I  vos  goin'  to  bay 
you  doze  big  wages  now  anymore.  Veil,  you 
vas  mistakened  !  I  do  n't  got  any  use  for  you 
at  all.  You  kan  get  oudt,  und  ven  you  see  dot 
Governor's  daughter,  you  may  tell  her  dot  a 
voomans  aindt  no  goot  at  peesness." 

"  We  were  going  to  leave  to-night,  anyhow," 
spoke  up  one  of  the  most  independent  of  the 
girls. 

"  Hey  !     what  's   dot  ?  " 

"  Miss  Pitcairn  has  already  hired  us  for  a 
better  job,"  reiterated  the  girl. 

"What   job?" 

"Well,  you  see  when  she  advised  us  to  come 
here-;  —  " 

"Advise  you  to  come!  She  didn't  do  dot. 
It  vos  our  detective  dot  coaxed  you  here.  She 
vas  craazy  mad  when  you  left  her  blace!" 
screamed  Moses,  excitedly. 


THE    COMBINATION  OUTWITTED  377 

"O,  no,  she  told  us  that  the  summer  time 
was  sure  to  be  dull,  and  that  to  spite  her  you 
would  pay  us  good  wages,  and  she  said  she  was 
much  obliged  to  the  trust  for  being  willing  to 
pay  her  help " 

"It   vos   a   lie!" 

"And  we  all  signed  a  paper  promising  to  come 
back  and  work  for  her  when  she  wanted  us, 
and  now  we  are  going." 

"What  kinds  of  work?"  demanded  the  Hebrew, 
curbing  his  wrath  to  give  his  curiosity  a  chance. 

"  Boxes,  of  course.  I  think  there  is  a  new 
trust  formed,  but  I  do  n't  know.  At  any  rate, 
the  new  mill  on  Burges  Street  is  fitted  up,  and 
we  are  all  going  down  there,  and  shall  take  the 
best  of  your  help  with  us." 

In  the  meantime  as  the  reports,  of  the  success 
of  the  box  trust  were  brought  to  Stanley  Arm- 
itage,  he  felt  a  masterful  sense  of  victory,  and 
as  the  weeks  passed  and  the  detective  brought 
in  the  names  of  fewer  and  fewer  Harlem  cus- 
tomers, he  concluded  that  the  end  was  near, 
and  despite  his  apparent  obduracy,  decided  as 
soon  as  the  crash  came,  to  help  settle  mat- 
ters as  satisfactorily  as  possible,  and  to  console 
Belle  as  best  he  could. 

In  pursuance  of  this  plan,  when  news  came 
that  the  Van  Alstyne  Company  were  doing  al 


HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


most  nothing,  he  prepared  to  put  his  plan  in 
execution,  and  to  that  end  called  at  the  Harlem 
mill,  timing  his  visit  so  that  it  should  fall  on 
the  morning  hour,  when  he  was  sure  Belle  would 
be  there.  It  was  with  a  feeling  of  affectionate 
condescension  that  he  stood  in  the  doorway  of 
her  sanctum,  and  waited  for  recognition. 

"  This  is  an  unexpected  pleasure,  Mr.  Armi- 
tage,"  said  Belle,  with  surprise. 

"  I  felt  that,  being  in  Harlem,  I  could  not 
deny  myself  the  treat  of  seeing  you,"  he  replied, 
beamingly.  "  Lie  clown,  Calamity,  lie  down,  sir. 
If  you  can  not  behave  better  I  shall  not  allow 
you  to  come  with  me." 

"Did  you  wish  to  see  me  or  my  methods  of 
doing  business  ? "  asked  Belle,  with  a  smile,  pat- 
ting the  dog  pityingly  as  he  limped  up  to  her, 
his  bright  eyes  full  of  friendliness. 

"Both,"  he  answered  with  a  charmingly  frank 
manner.  "You  know  that  I  have  been  jealous 
of  your  being  thus  absorbed,  from  the  first,  be- 
cause it  has  in  a  measure  kept  you  from  us, 
and  when  a  friend  told  me  that  you  had  con- 
cluded to  retire,  I  was  selfishly  glad." 

"  But  did  you  consider  that  if  this  mill  stops 
it  throws  more  than  a  hundred  girls  out  of 
employment  ? "  queried  Miss  Pitcairn,  gravely. 

"  Hard-hearted   as   I   am,  even   that   occurred  to 


THE    COMBINATION  OUTWITTED.  379 

me,  and  I  came  prepared  to  offer  them  all  good 
places  among  different  manufacturing  concerns 
with  whom  I  have  dealings.  One  house  in  Cin- 
cinnati will  take  fifty,  and  pay  them  wages 
while  learning,  while  I  will  send  them  over  the 
road  for  nothing." 

"  You  are  very  kind,"  she  said,  turning  to 
Mr.  Armitage,  "the  more  so  as  you  think  I  am 
wrong  in  running  this  factory,  but  you  are  mis- 
taken ;  I  do  not  contemplate  shutting  down." 

"  Surely  you  do  not  intend  to  go  on  at  a 
positive  loss  ? " 

"Mr.  Armitage,"  replied  Belle,  "there  is  a 
conspiracy  among  the  manufacturers  to  crush  this 
enterprise,  and  to  drive  me  out  of  the  business. 
I  entered  into  this  work  that,  with  God's  help, 
I  might  lift  the  girls  and  women  who  were 
little  better  than  slaves  up  to  a  higher,  nobler 
womanhood,  and  am  at  once  opposed  by  a  trust. 
Every  known  means  have  been  brought  to  bear 
to  insure  my  defeat,  but  all  have  failed.  My 
trust  is  in  the  Lord,  and  I  shall  be  successful. 
At  this  moment  1  would  not  exchange  my  bus- 
iness for  the  whole  of  the  holdings  of  the 
trust." 

"  I  am  pleased  that  you  are  so  courageous, 
and  only  regret  that  I  can  be  of  no  use,"  said 
Armitage,  taking  his  leave  with  a  look  of  chagrin 


380  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

and  disappointment  that  he  tried  in  vain  to 
hide,  followed  by  the  limping  "Calamity,"  who, 
like  his  aristocratic  master,  looked  very  much 
cast  down. 

On  his  way  home,  baffled  at  the  turn  of  af- 
fairs, he  could  not  help  wondering  what  it  was 
that  the  future  held  in  reserve  that  could  over- 
come the  combination.  He  did  not  discover 
what  it  was  until  a  week  later,  when  Moses  burst 
into  his  office,  his  face  aflame  with  rage,  and 
throwing  a  neat  folding  paper  box  down  on  his 
desk,  said,  — 

"  Look !  See  vot  that  voomans  has  got  oop ! 
The  ceety  is  flooded  with  them.  The  gustomers 
must  have  notings  else  !  Dey  say  dey  can  put 
a  hoondred  of  them  anyvheres  under  the  coun- 
ter, in  the  drawers,  anyvheres  ;  but  ours,  dey 
say,  tooks  oop  all  the  room." 

"Very  likely.  It  does  not  interest  me,"  was 
the  cold  reply. 

"  But  you  vas  manufacturing,  like  the  rest  of 
us?" 

"  I    have   sold    my   interest." 

"  Sold  oudt,  hey  ?  unloaded  ?  Veil,  I  pelieve 
you  vas  knowing  this  all  the  dimes,"  was  the 
angry  response,  and  Moses  rushed  off  to  find 
somebody  who  would  answer  wrathfully  when  he 
railed,  that  he  might  enjoy  a  quarrel. 


THE   COMBINATION  OUTWITTED. 


As  Mr.  Armitage  had  stated,  he  had  disposed 
of  his  trust  certificates.  A  feature  of  this  sud- 
den sale,  which  he  would  not  readily  acknowl- 
edge even  to  himself,  was  that  he  had  been  led 
to  this  action  by  a  strong  presentiment  that  the 
Van  Alstyne  factory  had,  in  some  mysterious 
way,  not  only  escaped  the  clutches  of  the  com- 
bination, but  would  be  its  most  dangerous  and 
incorruptible  rival.  In  addition  to  this,  he  was 
far  from  anxious  to  have  his  name  in  any  way 
brought  into  prominence  in  connection  with  this 
matter,  as  he  naturally  felt  that  it  would  be 
liable  to  injure  him  in  Miss  Pitcairn's  estima- 
tion. 

As  had  been  foreseen,  the  box  was  an  unpre- 
cedented success,  and  the  new  mill  could  not 
fill  the  orders.  To  satisfy  the  customers  the  old 
mill  at  Harlem  was  refitted  and  crowded  with 
help,  and  turning  out  goods  by  the  thousand 
dozen,  and  even  then  the  books  were  filled  with 
lists  of  orders,  dated  months  in  advance. 

The  trust  was  wholly  taken  by  surprise 
by  this  sudden  turn  of  affairs,  and  after  a 
hurried  consultation,  made  a  feeble  attempt  to 
infringe  on  the  patent  that  controlled  the  folding 
box,  but  was  met  by  swift  and  sudden  punish- 
ment that  effectually  frightened  others  from  fol- 
lowing their  exa'mple. 


HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


With  this  success  came  the  culmination  of 
another  plan,  the  changing  of  the  warehouse 
into  a  model  home  for  the  employes,  and  in 
fact  any  reputable  girls  who  wanted  good  food, 
clean  lodgings,  and  home  comforts  for  a  small 
sum.  The  plans  had  long  been  matured,  but  the 
partial  failure  of  the  Harlem  project  had  seri- 
ously interfered  with  their  consummation.  At 
one  time  Belle  had  gone  so  far  as  to  order  all 
of  the  merchandise  moved  out,  which  had  been 
done,  and  off  and  on  had  made  some  alterations. 
Now,  however,  as  soon  as  her  factory  was  going 
well  enough  to  spare  her  for  a  brief  time,  she 
visited  the  old  warehouse  with  her  father  and 
mother,  the  Professor,  and  Sarah. 

"This  is  to  be  the  girls'  home,"  she  had  said, 
by  way  of  introduction,  as  old  Jefferson  let  them 
in. 

"  A   free   home  ?  "    inquired    the    Professor. 

"  I  think  not,  rather  a  home  that  will  furnish 
a  neat,  clean  room  and  substantial  board  for 
the  sums  they  now  pay  for  poor  attics  and 
baker's  bread,"  was  the  reply. 

"In  mercy  to  the  girls  do  not  call  it  a 
home,"  suddenly  spoke  Miss  Murdock.  "  Every 
infirmary,  hospital,  or  charitable  institution  in 
the  city  is  a  'home.'  If  the  girls  are  to  be 
independent  and  self-supporting  they  want  the 


THE   COMBINATION  OUTWITTED.  383 

name  of  it,  and  not  even  an  implication  that 
they  are  objects  of  charity." 

"  Human   nature,"    murmured    the    Governor. 

"  Then  we  will  not  call  it  a  '  home,'  whatever 
else  it  is  named,  but  when  we  know  just  what 
it  is  to  be  and  to  do,  we  will  try  and  name 
it  accordingly,"  said  Belle. 

Leaving  this  decision  for  some  future  date, 
the  plans  were  brought  forward  and  carefully 
gone  over,  each  floor  receiving  its  proper  at- 
tention, and  provoking  much  discussion.  When 
the  building  had  been  "  done "  on  paper  from 
attic  to  basement,  old  Jefferson  showed  them  the 
place  that  now  looked  desolate  enough,  all  of 
the  merchandise  having  been  removed. 

"  I  have  shown  you  this  that,  when  you  next 
.ook  it  over  the  constrast  may  startle  you," 
said  Miss  Pitcairn. 

The  very  next  day  a  large  force  of  men 
were  put  at  work  upon  the  building,  tearing 
down  old  partitions,  rebuilding  the  weakened 
wall,  sheathing,  relaying  floors,  and  doing  a 
score  of  things  that  were  necessary  before  the 
place  could  be  made  attractive  and  useful  to 
the  working  girls  of  the  East  Side. 

When  after  a  time  the  work  was  finished, 
and  the  building  ready  for  occupancy,  before 
even  the  matron,  who  was  also  superintendent, 


384  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


had  taken  possession  of  her  room,  the  Professor, 
Miss  Murdock,  Governor  Pitcairn  and  wife,  by 
special  invitation  from  Belle,  again  came  down 
and  were  shown  over  the  edifice  from  basement 
to  attic  by  the  enthusiastic  lady.  And  what  a 
beautiful  house  they  saw  !  Light,  airy,  cheerful, 
furnished  substantially,  and  yet  simply,  and  of 
so  inviting  an  appearance  that  the  Governor  de- 
clared his  intention  of  selling  his  Fifth  Avenue 
property,  and  taking  a  suite  of  rooms  in  it. 

"  How  much  did  you  run  over  the  apppropria- 
tion,  dear  ? "  he  said  in  an  aside. 

"  Not  one  penny,  papa.  I  have  nearly  a 
thousand  dollars  left,"  was  the  complacent  reply. 

"Good,  my  little  financier.  Make  it  pay.  It 
will  if  it  is  managed  right,  and  will  do  all  the 
more  good  for  being  self-supporting." 

The  problem  of  filling  the  home  with  the 
girls,  for  whom  it  was  built,  came  next,  —  those 
of  the  working  girls  who  were  struggling  to  get 
a  living,  and  yet  were  daily  running  behind, — 
was  at  first  not  so  easy  of  solution ;  but  the 
practical  Mrs.  Thomas  being  appealed  to  was 
at  once  able  to  furnish  a  dozen  names,  and  by 
suggesting  an  amendment  to  the  plan  for  con- 
ducting the  dining-room,  tc  bring  the  manage- 
ment in  contact  with  many  more.  Her  plan 
was  to  offer  a  free  dinner  to  all  women  or 


THE  COMBINATION   OUTWITTED.  385 

girls  who  could  not  pay  for  it.  In  a  city  like 
New  York,  of  course  it  was  not  wise  to  adver- 
tise this,  and  the  capable  little  lady  took  it 
upon  herself  in  her  calls  to  inform  the  neigh- 
bors of  the  advantages  that  this  place  offered. 

To  appreciate  the  hopes  and  fears  that  an 
announcement  of  such  a  nature  produces  upon  a 
half-starved  sewing-girl  or  box-maker,  it  was 
only  necessary  to  see  one  of  this  thin,  over- 
worked sisterhood  hurrying  up  Burges  Street,  at 
dinner  time,  on  the  occasion  of  her  first  visit 
to  the  place.  With  timid  knock  she  gains  ad- 
mittance to  the  waiting-room,  just  off  of  the 
side  entrance,  and  meets  a  comfortable,  kindly 
looking  woman,  who  says,  — 

"  Dinner    is   all    ready   in   the   next    room." 

"  How   much  ?  "   falters   the   hungry   girl. 

"  Not  a  cent,  dear.  There,  there,  never  mine 
the  thanks  —  go  in  and  enjoy  your  dinner. 
When  you  are  through  come  into  the  office  a 
minute  and  see  me." 

This  free  dinner  eaten,  the  ice  was  broken, 
and  the  overburdened  girl  found  it  natural  to 
tell  the  nature  of  her  struggles  and  disappoint- 
ments, and  the  usual  result  was  that  a  com- 
fortless attic  was  abandoned,  and  one  of  the 
rooms  in  the  new  institution  found  a  most 
thankful  and  industrious  tenant.  Small  sums 


HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


were  paid  for  rent,  and  for  breakfasts  and  sup. 
pers,  which  were  as  simple  as  they  well  could 
be. 

In  three  weeks'  time  every  room  was  full,  and 
still  applications  came  in.  All  of  the  box-makers 
who  lived  in  that  vicinity  had  gladly  taken  rooms 
there.  As  the  new  lodgers  gained  in  health  and 
spirits,  as  they  almost  invariably  did,  almost 
without  exception  they  were  able  and  preferred 
to  pay  for  their  dinners,  and  it  so  happened 
that  at  the  end  of  ten  months  there  were  none 
in  the  house  who  were  not  paying  their  ex- 
penses, and  were  proud  and  happy  so  to  do. 

Professor  Buckingham  had  watched  Miss  Pit- 
cairn's  enterprise  with  keen  interest,  and  had 
been  very  glad  that  it  was  signally  successful. 

"One  thing  has  occurred  to  me,"  he  said,  meet- 
ing the  lady  as  she  was  coming  out  of  church 
one  Sabbath  morning.  "  How  do  you  prevent. 
gossip  in  a  place  where  so  many  persons  of 
limited  resources  are  gathered  together?" 

"We  were  sadly  troubled  by  it  at  first,"  she 
answered  ;  "  but  we  made  a  rule,  that  no  one 
should  speak  against  another.  Then  we  have 
somebody  reading  aloud  in  the  general  sitting- 
room  evenings,  while  the  others  are  working, 
and  it  gives  them  subjects  to  think  of  other 
than  their  own  petty  jealousies.' 


THE   COMBINATION  OUTWITTED. 


"  Miss  Pitcairn,"  said  the  gentleman,  "  I  have 
vainly  tried  to  suggest  something  that  would  .be 
of  value  in  your  good  enterprises,  but  you  have 
forestalled  me  on  every  occasion.  It  is  rather 
hard  for  me  to  feel  that  my  wit  is  slow,  and 
my  inventions  so  trite.  Is  there  not  something 
that  I  can  do?" 

Belle  smiled  at  the  sadness  of  the  tone,  and 
looking  into  the  handsome  face  with  a  glance  of 
especial  favor,  replied,  — 

"You  have  helped  me  wonderfully  already  in 
vour  suggestions,  your  work,  and  your  moral 
support,  and  as  a  token  of  my  appreciation  1 
ask  you  to  name  the  institution."  N 

"  Has   it    not   yet   a    name  ?  " 

"They  call  it*  the  'Corner  House'  now,  but 
we  want  something  more  dignified  than  that.  I 
confess  my  own  brain  has  been  ransacked  till 
I  am  weary,  but  without  avail,  for  the  proper 
appellation." 

"Suppose  it  be  called  the  'Industrial  League,'" 
said  he,  after  a  moment  of  thought. 

"Capital!  Indeed,  that  is  just  what  is  wanted 
to  give  it  dignity,  and  to  make  the  young  ladies 
feel  that  they  are  workers  together  with  us. 
How  can  I  thank  you  ?  " 

The  young  man  had  no  chance  to  state  in 
what  form  the  lady's  gratitude  would  be  most 


3 38  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

acceptable,  for  Mrs.  Armitage  rustled  up  at  that 
moment  and  carried  the  Governor's  daughter 
away,  after  a  keen,  questioning  glance  at  the 
Professor,  who  looked  extremely  happy.  Man- 
like, it  did  not  occur  to  him  that  there  was  a 
covert  opposition  in  this  glance,  and  that,  while 
in  not  the  least  danger  of  being  defamed  by 
this  lovely  woman,  her  faint  praise  might  do 
him  injury.  Possibly  he  would  not  take  it  much 
to  heart  were  he  appraised  of  this  hostility,  for 
he  was  a  busy  man,  and  loftily  ignored  the 
petty  strifes  of  modern  society. 


A  COWARD'S  BLOW. 


XXVI. 

e/i  v^0w<ai?<a.  s 


a  determined  man  makes  up  his  mind 
to  injure  another,  and  is  defeated  in  his 
attempts,  his  desire  for  vengeance  is  likely  to 
become  a  monomania. 

It  was  so  in  the  case  of  "  Big  Tom."  His 
dislike  of  Professor  Buckingham  had  commenced 
when  he  learned  of  the  influence  he  had  with 
McFadden,  and  especially  had  it  grown  when 
the  young  man  secured  the  lease  of  the  brewery 
property.  Through  him,  as  he  believed,  his  saloon 
had  been  turned  into  a  mission,  and  prayers  and 
testimonies  were  as  frequent  as  had  been  curses 
and  ribald  songs.  Then  again,  his  friend  Conlon 
had  been  transformed  into  a  veritable  lamb, 
which  was  alone  cause  for  the  most  serious 
grievance. 

The  petty  annoyances  that  had  been  inflicted 
on  the  people  at  the  Faith  Mission  and  at  the 
Gospel  Common  were  hidden  blows  at  the  Pro- 
fessor, or  at  Miss  Pitcairn  ;  for  Betteredge  be- 


39°  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

lieved  that  to  injure  one  would  be  to  trouble 
tne  other.  All  of  his  plans  had  signally  failed, 
and  this  was  so  apparent  that  Betteredge  gnashed 
his  teeth  in  fury.  The  more  he  brooded  over 
these  affairs,  the  more  incensed  he  became  against 
the  Professor,  and  the  greater  was  his  longing 
to  do  him  harm. 

Just  what  he  could  do  to  injure  him  was  not 
yet  plain,  for  several  reasons ;  first,  because  the 
Professor's  visits  to  the  "Wedge"  were  not  con- 
fined to  any  particular  time,  and  second,  because 
he  felt  that  the  people  of  the  vicinity  had 
Jearned  to  love  him  so  much  that  it  would  be 
dangerous  openly  to  assault  him. 

The  devil  helps  his  own,  so  it  is  said,  and  cer- 
tainly he  must  have  entered  into  "Big  Tom" 
when  he  conceived  the  plan  that  was  to  "make 
him  square"  with  the  Professor. 

With  her  usual  keenness  Meg  knew  that 
"her  Tom  "  was  meditating  extra  ugliness  toward 
some  fancied  enemy,  and  felt  that  it  might  be 
her  duty  to  warn  the  unfortunate  person.  She 
dreaded  to  face  her  master,  and  yet,  when  a 
question  of  duty  was  broached,  she  had  a  cer- 
tain Scotch  stubborness  that  in  her  case  was 
akin  to  conscience. 

It  was  for  the  purpose  of  learning  what  she 
could  that  she  knocked  at  his  door  and  stood 


A  COWAKD'S  BLOW. 


waiting  to  be  let  in.  After  a  long  silence,  he 
said,  coldly,  — 

"Come   in." 

With  trembling  step  she  entered,  and  gently 
closing  the  door  faced  the  occupant  of  the 
lounging-chair,  who  was  regarding  her  with  a 
fierce  scowl. 

"Well?"  said  Betteredge,  finally,  finding  that 
she  was  not  going  to  be  the  first  in  breaking 
the  silence. 

"I  thought  I  hae  served  ye  long  years  enough 
to  be  told  what  ye  are  aboot  to  do." 

"Do!  Do!"  returned  he,  passionately.  "What 
do  you  think  I'm  going  to  do?" 

"Some  hairm  to  somebody,"  said  Meg,  reso- 
lutely. 

Betteredge  gnawed  his  heavy  moustache  for  a 
moment,  then  said,  in  a  tone  of  cynical  indif- 
ference, — 

"  I  am  about  to  harm  an  enemy  as  much  as 
possible." 

"  Wha   is    it  ?  "   demanded   Meg. 

"  None   of  your   business." 

"  Thomas  Betteredge,"  said  Meg,  slowly,  "  it  's 
my  business  to  look  out  for  your  interest.  It  's 
best  for  you  not  to  be  too  cross  wi'  the  auld 
woman.  While  ye  gi'e  her  yeer  confidence,  she  's 
a'  right  and  a  host  o*  strength  toward  yeer 


392  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

protection,  but  'gin  ye  deceive  her  ye  are  a 
ruined  mon." 

Betteredge  raised  himself  in  his  chair,  and 
grasping  its  oaken  arms  sent  the  whole  energy  of 
his  intense  evil  nature  in  one  look,  but  appar- 
ently without  effect,  for  Meg  muttered  doggedly, — 

"  It 's   na   use,    that   dinna   trouble   me,   noo." 

With   a   baffled   look  he   sank   back. 

The  woman  maintained  her  waiting  attitude, 
and  even  the  spark  of  triumph  in  her  eye  was 
instantly  extinguished,  lest  it  should  offend. 

"What  do  you  want  to  know?"  he  said  at 
last,  with  an  attempt  at  roughness. 

"  Who   is   it   ye   intend   to   hairm  ? " 

"Professor   Buckingham,"  said  he,  savagely. 

The  old  woman  raised  both  hands  with  an  ex- 
pression of  despair  and  sank  into  a  chair,  shaken 
as  if  with  the  palsy.  One  by  one  the  great 
tears  coursed  down  her  cheeks.  Her  master 
gazed  uneasily  at  her,  and  finally  said, — 

"  Well  ? " 

"Ye '11  not  do  sic  a  thing.  Ye  daur  not.  He 
is  a  mon  wha'  is  keppit  of  God.  It 's  not  for 
the  likes  of  you  to  try  to  hairm  him,  else  'gin 
ye  succeed  the  vengeance  that  falls  on  ye  will 
be  manifold  worse.  Listen,  laddie,  tae  an  auld 
woman  that 's  seen  muckle  of  the  warld.  Dinna 
try  to  injure  one  o'  the  Lord's  annointed. 


A   COWARD'S  BLOW.  393 


I  tal  ye  th'rs  na  mither  as  jealous  o'  the  safety 
o'  her  bairns  as  the  Lord  is  o'  them  wha'  are 
ever  busy  servin'  him." 

The  man  rose,  and  grasping  Meg  by  the 
shoulders,  turned  her  out  into  the  hall,  whisper- 
ing through  his  set  teeth,  — 

"  Hark  you,  Meg,  I  '11  have  my  revenge,  what- 
ever happens.  I  hate  that  canting  Professor, 
with  his  proud  step  and  sanctified  smile,  and  he 
has  got  to  feel  my  hate." 

The  door  shut  with  a  slam,  and  Meg  with- 
drew to  weep  and  pray  for  "her  laddie."  Bet- 
teredge  going  to  the  sideboard,  drew  out  a  case  of 
liquors  and  drank.  In  an  hour  he  was  crouching  in 
a  corner,  and  sending  up  frightened  calls  for  Meg. 
She  came,  as  ever,  and  soothed  his  insane  fright, 
bathed  his  head,  and  at  length  got  him  to  sleep. 

For  several  days  Meg  watched  to  see  if,  on 
second  thought,  he  gave  up  the  idea  of  taking 
vengeance  on  the  Professor,  but  for  once  she 
was  puzzled  by  the  behavior  of  her  master,  and 
knew  not  what  to  think.  It  is  possible  that  he 
knew  he  was  watched,  and  purposely  assumed 
the  careless  air  that  revealed  nothing,  or  it  may 
be  that  the  plan  was  fully  matured,  and  gave  him 
no  further  uneasiness  until  it  was  time  to  put 
it  into  execution. 

At  last   the   eventful   evening  in   which   he  was 


394  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

to  "  get  square "  arrived,  and  clad  in  heavy 
coat  and  his  favorite  slouch  hat,  Betteredge 
started  for  the  Professor's  residence.  He  well 
knew  where  it  was,  having  carefully  reconnoi- 
tered  it,  and  approximated  the  location  of  the 
lower  front  rooms  with  remarkable  skill.  He 
knew  just  where  the  study  and  library  were 
situated,  and  was  familiar  even  with  the  general 
habits  of  the  household,  of  whom  the  gentle- 
man formed  a  part.  He  was  therefore  upon  no 
uncertain  venture  when  he  rang  the  bell,  and 
mentioning  the  name  of  the  missionary  at  the 
"  Wedge,"  obtained  instant  admittance.  The 
Professor  was  hard  at  work  in  his  study  when 
the  visitor  was  announced,  and  rose  somewhat 
reluctantly  to  see  who  it  was.  When  he  found 
that  it  was  a  messenger  from  the  "Wedge"  he 
was  more  interested,  and  though  the  message  con- 
sisted only  of  an  urgent  request  for  the  Professor 
to  be  present  at  the  meeting  on  the  following  eve- 
ning, as  an  important  communication  was  to  be 
made,  he  did  not  grudge  the  time  already  taken. 

"  Very  well,  I  will  try  and  be  there,"  said 
he,  perfectly  willing  to  excuse  the  messenger 
then  and  there,  but  the  latter  standing  in  ap- 
parent awkward  indecision  did  not  seem  to  be 
able  to  get  away. 

"Are  those    the  books  that   I   have   hearn   tell 


A   COWARD'S  BLOW.  395 

about?"  finally  inquired  the  man,  pointing 
toward  the  library. 

"  Yes." 

"  Well,  now  would  you  allow  a  man  to  have 
a  look  at  them  ?  " 

"  If  you  will  come  when  I  am  not  busy  I 
will  show  them,  and  lend  you  any  books  that 
you  may  need,"  said  the  other  cordially,  but 
with  a  longing  look  at  his  unfinished  work. 

"  Aye,  sir,  but  it 's  a  long  way  up  here,  and 
I  am  often  obliged  to  work  evenings.  All  my 
life  I  have  had  glimpses  of  books  from  a  dis- 
tance, but  no  one  could  spend  time  to  show 
me  any,"  sighed  the  man,  with  a  resigned 
pathos  in  his  voice  that  won  the  day. 

A  trifle  ashamed  of  his  selfishness  the  Pro- 
fessor led  the  way  into  the  spacious  library, 
and  began  indicating  its  contents.  From  one 
side  to  the  other  he  went,  showing  what  the 
shelves  contained,  spending  the  most  time  over 
the  illustrated  works,  and  doing  the  best  he 
knew  to  give  the  ordinary  intellect  before  him 
an  idea  of  what  was  to  be  found  there. 

As  the  Professor  talked,  and  his  visitor  an- 
swered, there  was  a  something  in  his  tones  of 
voice  that  sounded  familiar.  So  strong  did  the 
impression  grow  that  he  had  seen  the  man  be- 
fore that  he  finally  faced  about  and  said,  — 


HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


"  I  am  sure  that  I  have  met  you  before, 
might  I  inquire  your  name?" 

"  Tom  Betteredge,  usually  called  '  Big  Tom,' " 
was  the  cool  reply. 

A  glad  light  was  in  the  Professor's  eyes  as 
he  held  out  his  hand,  saying,  — 

"  Ah,  now  I  know.  You  have  come  over 
on  the  right  side,  at  last " 

The  sentence  was  never  finished.  "  Big  Tom " 
had  taken  the  extended  hand,  and  grasping  it 
firmly,  had  drawn  a  sand-club  out  of  his  pocket 
and  struck  the  other  a  heavy  blow  on  the 
head.  Without  a  groan  he  sank  down  in  a 
heap,  and  his  assailant  taking  his  purse  scat- 
tered part  of  the  money  on  the  floor,  pocketed 
the  rest,  left  the  room  locking  the  door  behind 
him,  and  let  himself  quietly  out. 

He  was  about  to  slip  through  to  Madison 
Avenue  and  take  a  carriage  down  town,  when 
he  saw  a  sight  that  almost  made  his  heart  stop 
beating.  An  old  woman  was  climbing  the  steps 
to  the  Buckingham  mansion.  There  could  be  no 
mistake  !  It  was  Meg !  It  would  not  do  for  him 
to  tarry,  and  yet  if  she  reached  the  door  and 
rung  the  bell  it  was  all  up  with  him.  Quick, 
as  a  cat  he  darted  back,  and  springing  up  the 
steps  two  at  a  time  said,  hoarsely,  — 

"Meg,   follow   me!" 


A   COWARD'S  BLOW.  397 

Without  a  word  or  an  exclamation  of  surprise, 
she  turned  and  came  after  him.  A  few  of  the 
passers-by  noted  the  strange  proceeding  with  a 
mild  curiosity,  but  with  no  attempt  at  interfer- 
ence, and  the  strange  couple  hurried  around  a 
corner  and  out  of  sight.  When  they  reached 
Madison  Avenue  there  was  found  a  carriage 
waiting,  and  both  got  into  it  and  were  driven 
rapidly  down  town. 

"Meg,"  said  Betteredge,  with  an  oath,  "what 
were  you  doing  up  there  ? " 

"  I  was  aboot  to  warn  the  mon  agin  ye,"  re- 
plied the  old  woman,  boldly. 

"  And  you  would  then  peach  on  me,  and  have 
me  arrested  ? "  inquired  Tom,  gripping  his  sand- 
club  and  looking  at  his  companion  in  the  dim 
light  with  a  most  malevolent  glance. 

"  Na,  I  sud  not  hae  gi'en  yeer  name.  Do  ye 
take  me  to  be  a  fule  ?  But  I  'd  pit  the  mon  on 
his  guard." 

"  Well,  you  are  too  late  now,  Meg.  To-mor- 
row's papers  will  tell  of  a  burglary  at  the  Pro- 
fessor's, and  of  his  —  his " 

"Weel,  what?  What  did  ye  do  to  the  mon?" 
questioned  Meg,  seizing  his  arm  convulsively, 
"sure  ye  dinna  gie  up  to  yeer  evil  impulses  and 
harm  him  ?  Ye  wouldna  du  sae  fulish  a  deed." 
The  old  woman's  tone  was  agonizing,  and  she 


HER   OPPORTUNITY. 


had  fallen  on  the  floor  and  was  clasping  the 
strong  man's  knees,  as  if  in  entreaty.  Her 
agitation  seemed  to  communicate  itself  to  her 
companion,  for  he  dropped  the  club,  and  leaning 
back  against  the  cushions,  ghastly  and  shivering, 
muttered, — 

"It's  too  late,  Meg!  Too  late!  Why  didn't 
you  get  there  sooner?  I  tell  you  I  have  done 
it,  and  to-morrow  all  the  city  will  ring  with  it, 
and  I  shall  be  hunted  down  like  a  mad  dog. 
O,  what  a  fool  I  was  to  put  myself  in  such  a 
place  just  for  the  sake  of  revenge!" 

At  this  Meg  woke  to  the  dangerous  situation, 
and  assumed  the  reins  of  power. 

"Hush,  laddie,  dinna  speak  sae  loud,"  she 
cautioned.  "  The  driver  may  hear  ye.  Dinna 
fear,  ye  needna  be  caught.  Auld  Meg  '11  protect 
ye,  and,  if  need  be,  they  may  think  it 's  she 
killed  the  mon,  but  you,  laddie,  shall  gang  free." 

At  a  friendly  saloon  in  the  lower  part  of  the 
city  Meg  and  Tom  got  out,  and  the  latter  as- 
sumed his  ordinary  habiliments,  while  the  former 
went  home  to  mourn  over  the  terrible  event, 
and  to  set  her  sharp  wits  at  work  to  throw 
detectives  off  the  track,  should  there  be  inquiries 
in  her  vicinity. 


A  FEARFUL  HARVEST.  399 


XXVII. 


/I 


(HE  strain  that  had  been  upon  Belle  for  so 
many  months  was  gradually  being  lifted  by 
the  growing  success  of  her  plans,  and  the  satis- 
faction that  this  was  to  her  had  furnished  new 
life  and  spirits. 

Every  morning,  when  the  weather  permitted, 
it  had  been  her  custom  to  take  a  gallop  in  the 
park,  sometimes  alone  and  sometimes  attended. 
For  this  especial  ride  she  had  a  spirited  little 
horse,  known  among  the  stable  fraternity  as 
Dandy  Jim,  and  called  by  his  fair  mistress 
simply  Dandy. 

As  she  returned  from  a  morning's  ride  the 
air  seemed  so  fresh  and  pure,  the  world  so 
lovely,  that  her  heart  rilled  with  thankfulness. 

"Belle,  darling,  how  happy  you  look,"  said 
her  mother,  as  she  kissed  her  good-morning. 

"  It  agrees  with  Dandy  and  me  to  be  up 
early,"  she  said,  gaily.  "  He  went  like  the  wind, 
and  once  he  acted  so  ridiculously  that  every  body 


4OO  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

laughed.  Up  in  the  park  there  was  a  squirrel 
running  along  beside  the  drive,  and  Dandy  threw 
up  his  head  and  snorted  as  if  he  had  seen  an 
elephant,  and  then  he  danced  around  and  pre- 
tended to  be  dreadfully  alarmed,  till  I  spoke  to 
him,  when  he  cantered  off  as  if  he  had  been 
behaving  properly  all  the  time." 

At  breakfast,  on  this  eventful  morning,  Belle 
learned  that  her  father  had  taken  an  early  train 
for  Albany,  and  only  Mrs.  Pitcairn  and  herself 
were  left  of  the  little  family.  The  daughter's 
brightness  awoke  in  the  mother  a  responsive 
chord,  and  they  chatted  cheerily  of  things  that 
were  of  mutual  interest  in  society,  as  well  as 
in  the  home-circle.  A  stranger  would  hardly 
have  thought  the  two  ladies  occupied  the  respec- 
tive relations  of  mother  and  daughter,  either 
from  their  looks  or  from  their  entertaining  ways 
when  talking  together. 

At  that  time,  when  the  world  was  so  bright 
and  every  thing  was  apparently  so  prosperous, 
Bridget  entered,  the  bearer  of  evil  tidings. 

"Sure,  mam,"  she  said,  "did  yez  know  that 
there  was  a  murther  in  the  house  next  beyant 
yez,  lasht  night  ? " 

"  Why,  how  shocking ! "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Pit- 
cairn,  turning  pale.  "  One  of  our  neighbors  ? " 

"  Yis,   mam ;    Perfesser    Buckingham    was   killed 


A   FEARFUL  HARVEST. 


by  a  tramp  —  howly  murther!  look  at  Miss  Belle; 
she  's  faintin',  she  's  faintin'  ;  what  '11  I  do  ?  " 

Quick  as  a  flash  the  mother  slipped  round  to 
the  daughter,  and  caught  her  as  she  swayed  back 
in  her  chair. 

"Bring  my  bottle  of  salts,"  she  commanded, 
and  the  domestic  hastened  away,  wondering  that 
the  "  'Merican  "  girls  could  n't  hear  of  a  murder 
without  falling  into  a  faint.  By  the  time  Bridget 
returned,  Belle  was  so  far  recovered  that  the 
salts  were  not  needed  ;  but  she  sat  with  a  look 
of  such  hopeless  misery  on  her  face  that  it 
brought  tears  to  the  mother's  eyes. 

"Come  to  my  room,  darling,"  she  said,  "and 
lie  down.  This  shock  has  been  so  sudden  that 
I  fear  it  will  make  you  sick." 

With  her  mother's  arm  about  her,  Belle  suf- 
fered herself  to  be  led  to  the  luxuriously  fur- 
nished apartment,  where  peace  and  quiet  reigned, 
and  pale  and  wan,  reclined  on  a  lounge.  By  her 
side  knelt  the  mother,  who  attempted  to  reassure 
her,  not  dreaming  how  deep  the  wound  was. 

"I  fear  that  this  is  the  result  of  his  work 
among  those  people  at  the  'Wedge.'  He  was 
doubtless  martyred  by  some  whom  he  was  at- 
tempting to  save  from  a  life  of  sin.  How  very, 
very  sad;  and,  dear,  how  he  will  be  missed  in 
your  Mission  school  !  " 


402  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 


Belle  made  no  reply,  but  buried  her  face  in 
her  hands,  and  with  aching  head,  tried  to  think 
that  it  was  all  over.  Never  again  should  she 
see  that  princely  figure,  nor  hear  the  tones  of 
that  helpful,  manly  voice.  How  the  work  at  the 
East  Side  had  been  brightened  by  his  presence! 
Could  it  go  on,  now  that  he  was  dead  ?  Dead ! 
The  word  made  her  turn  cold  and  faint,  with  a 
desolate  loneliness  that  the  rnother-love  could  not 
banish.  Dead !  The  hopes  never  before  acknowl- 
edged, the  heart  -  flutter,  the  sweet  maidenly 
imaginings  now  all  blotted  out,  and  in  their 
place  was  only  a  dull  pain.  As  the  realization 
of  the  blow  that  had  fallen  upon  her  became 
more  acute,  she  could  no  longer  hold  her  peace, 
but  moaned  aloud  in  her  agony. 

"  My  darling,  what  is  it  ? "  murmured  the 
mother. 

"O,  mother,  I  loved  him,"  sobbed  Belle,  the 
tears  coming  at  last. 

"Poor  little  one !  it  is  very  hard.  He  was  a 
noble  man,  and  worthy  of  your  love.  God  has 
taken  him,  darling,  and  in  the  midst  of  his  use- 
fulness and  his  labors.  He  knows  best,"  whis- 
pered the  mother. 

"  O,  I  have  told  suffering  women  and  girls  so 
many  times  to  be  resigned,  to  feel  that  God's 
hand  is  in  their  affliction,  that  it  is  but  for  the 


A  FEARFUL  HARVEST. 


moment  ;  and  now,  when  I  have  need  of  such 
comfort,  it  seems  a  mockery.  How  can  I  be 
resigned  to  the  death  of  one  so  noble  as  he 
was  ?  How  can  I  bow  submissively  when  the 
man,  for  whom  I  would  lay  down  my  life  gladly, 
—  willingly,  —  is  laid  low?" 

At  this  instant  Lucy  burst  into  the  room, 
and  in  spite  of  a  warning  gesture  from  the 
mother,  broke  out  excitedly,  — 

"O,  Miss  Pitcairn,  did  you  hear  the  awful 
news?" 

"Lucy,"  said  Mrs.  Pitcairn,  with  more  stern- 
ness than  had  ever  before  appeared  in  her  dove- 
like  nature,  "leave  the  room  instantly." 

Much  abashed,  the  child  slowly  retraced  her 
steps  until  she  reached  the  door,  when  she  said 
rapidly  and  half  defiantly,  — 

"Professor  Buckingham  is  almost  killed,"  and 
then  darted  off  down-stairs  and  out  of  sight 
and  hearing. 

"  Almost  !  "  The  word  had  possibilities  of  hope 
that  amounted  to  an  instant  blessing.  Belle 
started  up  with  a  look  of  joy  in  her  eyes,  and 
cried,  — 

"  He  is  alive  !  He  is  not  dead  !  O,  thank 
God!  thank  God!" 

With  this  good  news  to  cheer  her,  Mrs.  Pit- 
cairn lost  no  time  in  hurrying  over  to  the  Buck- 


404  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

ingham  residence,  which  was  but  a  short  distance 
-away,  to  discover  the  exact  truth,  while  Belle 
sat  in  the  window,  counting  the  minutes  till 
her  return. 

As  a  friend  of  the  family,  Mrs.  Pitcairn  found 
no  difficulty  in  learning  all  that  was  known  of 
the  strange  affair.  It  seems,  soon  after  the  man 
called  or.  that  evening,  there  had  been  another 
caller,  who  had  insisted  on  seeing  the  Professor, 
although  he  was  locked  in  his  study.  After 
waiting  some  time,  the  servant  had  tried  the 
door  again  soitly,  and  then  had  knocked.  As 
there  was  no  answer,  and  as  an  absolute  silence 
reigned  in  the  room,  the  man  became  concerned 
and  knocked  again  much  louder  than  before,  and, 
listening,  was  sure  he  heard  a  slight  movement 
and  a  groan. 

With  this  for  an  incentive,  he  went  outside, 
and  standing  on  a  short  ladder  looked  into  the 
window,  and  saw  his  master  lying  unconscious 
on  the  floor.  At  that  sight  he  sprang  down, 
and  running  inside,  burst  the  door  open  and 
found  the  Professor  just  opening  his  eyes,  but 
too  weak  to  raise  his  head  or  even  to  speak. 

The  best  medical  aid  was  summoned,  and  the 
wounded  man  removed  to  his  room,  where  he 
was  soon  raving  in  fierce  delirium.  The  sur- 
geon arriving,  found  that  he  was  dangerously 


A  FEARFUL  HARVEST.  405 

ill;  indeed,  that  so  savage  had  been  the  blow, 
that  there  was  small  chance  of  his  recovery.  - 

That  the  motive  for  the  deed  was  robbery, 
no  one  seemed  for  a  moment  to  doubt,  and  a* 
once  the  "Inspector"  was  made  acquainted  with 
the  meagre  details  of  the  crime.  With  his  cus- 
tomary sagacity  he  put  men  looking  for  clews, 
and  they  were  able  to  discover  that  the  assassin 
escaped  in  a  carriage  down  Madison  Avenue, 
and  that  he  was  accompanied  by  a  woman.  At 
the  saloon,  however,  where  he  had  left  the  cab, 
they  were  thrown  off  the  track  and  could  not 
follow  the  trail  further. 

Meanwhile  the  Pitcairns  had  bulletins  from 
the  patient  many  times  a  day.  When  the  de- 
lirium that  followed  the  terrible  shock  was  at 
its  height,  Belle  sat  in  her  room  at  the  window 
next  to  the  Buckingham  mansion,  and  hidden 
by  the  clinging  ivy  vines  that  covered  the  out- 
side of  the  house  and  drooped  gracefully  over 
the  casement,  watched  and  prayed.  Not  for  a 
moment  had  her  faith  wavered  that  his  recov- 
ery would  be  complete,  nor  be  long  delayed. 
Even  the  mournful  news  that  Bridget  was  con- 
tinually bringing  in  about  his  not  being  able  to 
"  lasht  much  longer,  poor  crathur,"  produced  no 
effect.  When  she  met  the  genial  surgeon  and 
asked  his  opinion  of  the  case,  and  he  had 


406  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

shaken  his  head  and  said  simply  that  it  was 
still  "doubtful  if  he  would  pull  through,"  she 
had  not  despaired,  but  waited  hopefully  for  bet- 
ter tidings. 

At  length  word  came  that  he  was  out  of 
danger  and  would  live,  and  who  can  describe 
the  joy  of  that  true  heart  when  this  announce- 
ment was  confirmed  ?  She  felt  it  an  answer  to 
prayer,  and  now  that  her  petition  was  thus  an- 
swered, she  took  up  again  the  duties  of  her 
former  life,  and  if  now  thoughts  came  of  the 
few  inconsistencies  in  his  otherwise  noble  nature, 
she  put.  them  aside,  thankful  that  he  had  again 
the  gift  of  life  and  the  promise  of  long  years 
of  strength  and  usefulness. 

When  the  Professor  was  able  he  received  a 
visit  from  the  "  Inspector,"  a  man  well  known 
in  New  York  for  his  acuteness  and  singular 
faculty  for  tracing  crimes.  Ushered  into  the 
sick  room,  he  had  said,  after  a  word  of  greet- 
ing,— 

"  Do  you  feel  able  to  make  a  statement  re- 
garding your  assailant  ? " 

"  I  have  reasons  for  not  -.visaing  the  matter 
carried  further/'  said  the  Professor. 

"  Personal   reasons  ? " 

The   other   smiled  and   said, — 

"To    a    gentleman     of    your     astuteness,     Mr 


A  FEARFUL  HARVEST.  4°7 

B ,    it    might    be    dangerous    for    me    to   say, 

that  to  apprehend  my  assailant  would  be  to  dis- 
grace a  relative  of  his,  in  whom  I  take  a  deep 
interest." 

"  Hum,"  said  the  Inspector.  "  Let  me  see. 
You  are  interested  in  a  waif  named  Jack.  Her 
relative  is  Tom  Betteredge.  How  would  his 
arrest  injure  her?  Few  of  those  with  whom 
she  will  come  in  contact  will  ever  know  that 
he  is  her  uncle." 

It    was    a    shrewd    guess,    and     the     gentleman 
was    keen     enough    to    see    that    it    was,    so     he. 
said    smilingly,  — 

"  Do  you  consider  it  wrong  not  to  revenge 
one's  injuries?" 

"  It  is  my  business  to  bring  criminals  to  jus- 
tice. In  this  case  we  have  almost  no  proof  ex- 
cept what  you  could  furnish  us.  My  judgment 
would  advise  that  this  man  Betteredge  —  for  I 
am  convinced  that  it  was  he  —  be  brought  to 
justice.  You  may  see  it  differently.  If  you 
change  your  mind,  let  me  know." 

With  these  words  the  Inspector  was  gone,  and 
the  Professor  left  alone  to  wonder  if  he  was 
not  wrong  to  allow  so  desperate  a  criminal  to 
remain  at  large  when  he  had  an  opportunity  to 
put  him  behind  the  bars  for  so  long  a  time. 

In   the    meantime,    Betteredge    had   been   suffer- 


HER   OPPORTUNITY. 


ing  some,  at  least,  of  the  torments  of  the 
damned.  Although  he  knew  that  he  was  not  a 
murderer,  he  was  aware  that  his  victim,  as 
soon  as  he  recovered,  would  tell  who  it  was 
that  assaulted  him.  Determined  to  hide  himself, 
he  instructed  Meg  to  still  keep  their  home  as 
if  he  were  ready  to  return  to  it  at  any  time, 
while  he,  in  the  disguise  of  a  laborer,  sought  a 
place  in  one  of  the  city  factories  ;  engaging  a 
room  where  he  could  see  what  passed  in  his 
former  home. 

In  the  room  in  which  Betteredge  worked 
were  two  monster  machines  called  "kneaders," 
made  after  the  fashion  of  huge  cylindrical 
quartz  crushers.  One  of  these  was  assigned  to 
him  soon  after  he  came,  because  of  his  strength 
and  size.  This  same  machine  had  an  uncanny 
reputation  ;  the  men  called  it  the  "  man-eater," 
for  if  report  could  be  trusted,  two  men  had 
been  sacrificed  to  its  rapacity  when  it  was  in 
another  mill.  It  had  been  dug  out  from  be- 
neath the  ruins  after  the  burning  of  that  fac- 
tory, bought  by  the  present  owners,  and  moved 
to  the  works  here.  Workmen  have  deep-seated 
superstitions  about  unlucky  machines,  as  well  as 
unlucky  men.  There  was  not  one  in  the  room, 
with  the  single  exception  of  "  Big  Tom,"  who 
would  not  have  been  thankful  if  it  were  hope- 


A  FEARFUL  HARVEST.  4°9 


lessly  injured.  Had  they  been  asked  to  formu- 
late their  thoughts,  they  would  doubtless  have 
presented  some  curious  reflections  upon  haunted 
"kneaders"  in  general,  and  the  man-eater  in 
particular.  As  a  rule,  however,  laborers  are 
reticent  about  such  matters,  judging  it  ill  luck 
to  talk  much  concerning  uncanny  things,  lest 
by  mentioning  them  they,  like  human  eavesdrop- 
pers, hear  no  good  of  themselves  and  be  an- 
gered. One  or  two,  nevertheless,  warned  Bet- 
teredge  of  the  dangerous  work  that  he  was  un- 
dertaking,—  spoke  in  lowered  voices  of  the 
whispered  tradition,  that  in  the  dead  of  night 
the  man-eater  had  been  seen  noiselessly  running 
at  full  speed,  while  the  engine  was  still,  and 
that  it  was  fed  by  two  men  who,  dreadfully 
mangled,  stood  over  its  fluted  rolls  as  they  had 
in  the  days  past  in  the  distant  factory ;  that 
the  machine  was  haunted,  and  always  would  be, 
till  it  was  taken  and  buried  beside  those  whom 
it  had  murdered.  While  it  remained  above 
ground,  the  awe-struck  narrator  had  concluded, 
it  would  not  want  for  victims. 

Betteredge  had  received  this  information  with 
an  expression  that  might  mean  contempt  or  in- 
difference,—  his  informant  could  not  tell  which, 
—  but  he  noticed  that  the  Scotchman,  as  he 
was  called,  did  not  refuse  to  tend  the  machine, 


410  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

but  went  about  it  with  the  same  dogged  cool- 
ness with  which  all  his  duties  in  the  mill  were 
performed.  His  companions  shook  their  heads 
gravely,  and  predicted  the  one  dreaded  accident 
that  made  every  heart  stand  still  ;  and  with  fore- 
boding waited  till  the  hated  machine  should 
claim  its  third  victim,  and  prove  that  their 
knowledge  of  such  matters  was  not  guess  work, 
but  the  result  of  long  experience  and  gathered  from 
the  unimpeachable  testimony  of  men  who  had 
grown  gray  in  the  grinding-room,  whose  obser- 
vations and  escapes  were  worth  more  than  all 
the  theorizing  that  learned  men  might  bring  to 
bear  upon  what  they  would  call  foolish  super- 
stition. 

Bctteredge  was  a  man  of  unaccountable  fan- 
cies. In  the  short  time  that  he  had  been  a 
laborer  in  the  mill,  he  had  formed  no  friend- 
ships, had  encouraged  no  familiarity.  The  work- 
men tacitly  acknowledged  the  superiority  with 
which  the  dignity  of  silence  invested  him. 

He  had,  from  the  first,  taken  a  deliberate 
survey  of  the  employes,  and  estimated  them  very 
nearly  at  what  they  were  worth.  There  was  not 
the  least  companionship  there  for  him.  As  a  lonely 
man  often  turns  to  a  horse  or  dog  for  sympa- 
thy, so  in  the  hours  when  his  disguise  required 
hard  labor,  under  which  he  secretly  chafed,  he 


A   FEARFUL  HARVEST. 


imagined  the  mighty  machine  to  be  endowed  with 
intelligence,  and  with  a  feeling  of  kinship  gloated 
over  its  reckless  destruction  of  all  that  came  in 
its  way,  and  its  stubborn  energy.  He  felt  that 
many  of  those  attributes  were  his,  and  conse- 
quently better  than  any  other  could  he  appreci- 
ate the  machine. 

The  forenoon  had  nearly  passed.  Swiftly  the 
wheels  were  turning,  the  whole  room  was  breath- 
ing an  air  of  intense  activity.  The  rattle  of  the 
machines,  the  jar  of  the  kneaders,  mingled  with 
the  shrill  calls  of  the  calendar  boys,  made  in- 
cessant din. 

All  at  once,  in  spite  of  the  noise,  everybody 
seemed  to  be  looking  at  a  group  in  the  rear  of 
the  room.  It  was  the  foreman,  two  men  in  the 
uniform  of  police,  and  a  stranger  in  citizen's 
dress.  The  foreman  pointed  towards  Betteredge, 
while  the  man  in  citizen's  dress  .stepped  in  front 
of  the  others  and  started  in  the  direction  of 
the  machine.  As  he  did  so,  "  Big  Tom  "  glanced 
up,  and  for  the  first  time  saw  the  uniform  of 
the  police.  A  fierce  look  lighted  his  eyes  for 
an  instant,  and  he  half  turned  and  looking  through 
the  window  at  his  back,  and  saw  a  third  enemy 
in  the  yard.  A  second  of  irresolution  succeeded, 
and  then  he  stood  regarding  the  alert-looking 
stranger.  The  latter  advanced  quickly,  till  he 


412  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

was  facing  him,  but  on  the  other  side  of  the 
machine. 

"  Tom  Betteredge,"  he  said,  "  I  have  a  warrant 
for  your  arrest.  You  will  fare  better  to  give 
yourself  up  quietly." 

A  sneer  came  to  the  death-white  face  of  the 
defeated  man,  and  the  liquor  which  still  held 
him  in  thrall  made  him  desperate.  He  looked 
so  fearful,  with  his  brilliant  gaze  fixed  on  the 
officer,  his  sharp  teeth  showing  through  the 
parted  lips  like  the  fangs  of  a  wolf  at  bay, 
that  the  speaker  retreated  a  step  and  motioned 
his  subordinates  to  be  ready. 

Behind  the  police  the  operatives  were  crowd- 
ing in  from  the  other  rooms,  and  in  excited 
groups  watching  the  "  Scotchman,"  as  they  still 
called  him,  although  every  one  there  now  knew 
that  he  was  the  former  owner  of  the  "  Wedge " 
saloon. 

With  head  thrown  back,  heavy  brows  bent  in 
a  frown,  yet  with  defiant  smile,  stood  Better- 
edge,  holding  his  pursuers  back  by  a  look.  The 
workmen  shuddered  as  they  beheld  him ;  the 
women  and  girls  that  were  forcing  their  way  in 
despite  the  efforts  of  the  foreman,  were  sobbing 
hysterically. 

"  Look  here,"  said  the  head  officer,  at  last, 
"there  has  been  enough  of  this.  Stetson,  go 


A  FEARFUL  HARVEST.  413 

down   that   line  of   machines  and  around  to  where 
he   is.     Doddridge,    come   with    me." 

As  they  pressed  near,  this  time  to  take  him, 
Betteredge  gave  one  quick,  farewell  glance  around 
the  room,  and  with  a  deepening  of  the  trium- 
phant smile,  flung  himself  into  the  jaws  of  the 
"  man-eater." 

The  great  engine  was  standing  still.  The 
grinding  room  was  full  of  men.  On  a  low,  zinc- 
covered  stock  table  lay  a  form  concealed  by  wrap- 
ping-cloth, the  white  of  the  fabric  dyed  in  places 
with  spots  of  blood.  The  kneader,  its  mighty 
driving-wheel  shattered  by  an  iron-bar  that  had 
been  thrust  through  it,  stood  blood-spattered, 
silent,  wrecked.  The  men  gathered  in  groups, 
fairly  dumb  with  horror,  and  with  white  lips 
whispered  of  what  they  had  seen,  of  the  terrible 
death  of  their  hunted  comrade. 

There   was   a   slight    stir   at   the   door. 

"You   can    not   go   in,"    said   a   firm   voice. 

"Eh,  but  I  will  go  in!"  was  the  reply. 
"  Dinna  ye  ken  that  it 's  my  lad  ?  Stand  aside, 
mon,  and  let  a  puir,  hairt-broken  creetur  see  her 
laddie!" 

It  was  Meg.  With  eager  steps  she  entered 
the  room,  her  grey  hair  disheveled,  her  with- 
ered cheeks  covered  with  tears.  Kneeling 


414  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 


by  the  shapeless  figure,  she  gently  drew  down 
the  sheet  and  showed  the  dead  face  with 
a  history  of  torture  written  on  the  drawn  linea- 
ments. 

With  a  look  of  anguished  love,  the  faithful 
servant-mother  gazed  upon  her  boy,  kissing  the 
lips,  smoothing  the  contracted  brow. 

"  O,  my  bairn  !  "  she  sobbed,  in  a  whisper,  as 
if  the  dead  alone  could  hear,  "ye  dinna  ken 
who  it  is  that  greets  for  ye  ;  ye  dinna  ken  it 's 
auld  foolish  Meg,  wha  luves  ye  mair  than  all 
the  world  beside  !  Eh,  but  I  'm  sair,  sair 
stricken  !  " 

The  quiet  sobs  ceased,  and  she  fell  anew  to 
caressing  the  passive  form.  Suddenly  turning  to 
the  crowd  of  men,  she  said, — 

"  Dinna  ever  ain  of  ye  all  daur  to  call 
yersel'  men  !  Ye  drove  to  his  death  ain  wha's 
shoon  ye  were  na  fit  to  dust.  Eh,  ye  'd  stand 
like  a  pack  o'  cooards  and  let  him  gang  to 
his  death,  and  ne'er  a  hand  raised  to  halp 
him  !  May  the  pain  and  anguish  fa'  double 
on  ye  all  !  " 

Then  again  clasping  her  dead  she  sobbed, 
"  O,  my  bairnie,  would  that  ye  had  deed  in 
Scotland,  when  yeer  wee  baby  fingers  used  to 
stroke  my  face  and  dry  my  tears.  O,  hoo  can 
I  bear  it  that  ye  sqld  be  sae  torn,  sae  man- 


A  FEARFUL  HARVEST. 


glcd  —  would  God  I  were  deed  beside  ye  !  O, 
it  's  rum  !  rum  !  rum  !  It  killed  yeer  father,  and 
now  it  's  killed  thee,  my  puir  lad.  It  made  ye 
a  criminal  ;  it  wrecked  yeer  happiness  ;  it  stole 
yeer  life  !  Cursed  be  they  who  make  it,  and 
twice  cursed  they  who  sell  it  I" 


4*6  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


XXVIII. 


tr)er. 


«  TgJAVE  we  not  dwelt  in  tents  long  enough?" 

]jj\    said    Miss    Pitcairn    to    Mrs.    Thomas   one 
i» 

afternoon,  as  they  were  waiting  for  the  Gospel 
common  to  fill  with  the  regular  Sabbath  audi- 
ence. 

To  make  her  question  fully  understood,  we 
must  preface  it  by  the  statement  that  the  com- 
mon was  no  longer  the  "  open  lot,"  but  was 
roofed  with  canvas.  When  first  the  meetings 
had  been  started,  there  was  no  covering  for  the 
audience,  nor  were  there  seats,  but  all  stood 
under  the  bright  rays  of  the  sun,  or  were  wet 
by  sudden  showers,  neither  of  which,  however, 
had  yet  served  to  disperse  these  enthusiastic 
gatherings.  It  had  been  the  suggestion  of  an 
old  sailor  that  enough  sail  cloth  be  purchased  to 
form  an  awning  as  a  protection  against  the  ele- 
ments, and  this  had  been  done,  the  people 
themselves  paying  for  the  luxury.  Very  proud 
were  the  members  of  this  primitive  church,  of 


THE  ROOF  MEETING.  417 

their  new  roof,  and  mjst  constant  in  their  at- 
tendance upon  the  sen  ices  held  under  it.  Many 
of  them  had  the  shyness  that  comes  to  those 
long  unused  to  worship,  which  so  effectually 
keeps  them  from  ever  entering  a  church.  No 
doubt  had  these  suspicious  ones  at  first  been 
invited  to  come  to  a  tent  meeting,  they  would 
have  fled  away ;  but  when  the  services  were  be- 
gun in  the  open  air,  and  they  themselves  wanted 
the  canvas  covering,  it  seemed  the  most  natural 
thing  in  the  world,  and  very  far  removed  from 
any  "religious  trap."  In  addition  to  all  this, 
very  many  had  been  converted  during  the  out- 
of-door  meetings,  and  no  longer  feared  Christian 
people,  or  the  places  of  their  gathering. 

"Have  we  not  dwelt  long  enough  in  tents?" 
said  Miss  Pitcairn,  looking  up  at  the  weather- 
stained  canvas  and  out  over  the  faces  of  the 
gathering  multitude. 

"  I  think  we  have,"  replied  Mrs.  Thomas ;  "  the 
people  are  more  prosperous  than  I  ever  saw 
them  before,  and  are  eager  to  work.  I  will  ask 
my  husband  to  talk  it  over  with  some  of  the 
brethren." 

At  the  close  of  the  service  a  few  of  the 
workers  gathered  about  Mr.  Thomas,  as  the  cus- 
tom was,  and  he,  without  delay,  spoke  right  to 
the  point,  as  his  wife  had  suggested. 


41 8  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

"Brethren,    our   roof    is   growing    old,"   he   said. 

"  Canvas   is   plenty,"   spoke   up   one. 

"And  money  to  buy  it  is  plentier,"  said 
another. 

"Suppose  we  make  a  change  and  put  up  a 
more  durable  roof  of  wood,"  said  the  mission- 
ary. 

"  A  grand  idea ;  gude  for  ye,  parson,"  said 
McFadden,  who  took  a  prominent  part  in  all 
church  affairs. 

"Then  a  little  more  money  would  suffice  to 
build  side  walls  that  would  keep  out  the  cold," 
continued  Mr.  Thomas. 

"  Aye,   so   it   would." 

"And  then  we  could  have  the  ground  cov- 
ered with  boards,  and  seats  put  in  for  the  women 
and  children." 

"  Eh,  but  you  'd  hae  a  whole  church  on  yeer 
hands,"  was  the  astonished  comment. 

"That  is  it,  exactly.  There  are  enough  of  us 
to  form  a  church  and  build  a  chapel.  We  can 
not  afford  to  let  our  precious  flock  scatter  during 
the  cold  season.  I  believe  it  is  the  Lord's  will 
that  we  should  have  right  on  this  spot  a  temple 
to  His  name." 

"  Amen  ! "   came  from  the  lips  of  the  listeners. 

"Now,  brethren,  let  us  get  up  a  circular  that 
shall  call  for  a  'roof  iieeting,'  for  we  won't 


ROOF  MEETING.  4*9 


frighten  the  timid  by  talking  too  loud  at  first," 
said  the  minister,  and  all  agreed. 

An  adjournment  was  made  to  the  Faith  Mis- 
MOII,  where  the  committee  seated  themselves  and 
drew  up  a  brief  circular,  to  be  sent  to  all  whose 
addresses  they  had,  and  who  were  interested  in 
the  meetings.  These  were  printed  the  next  day, 
and  by  Wednesday  of  that  week  few  of  those 
who  were  in  the  habit  of  attending  the  Gospel 
common  meetings  were  ignorant  of  the  proposed 
assemblage.  The  unusual  call  provoked  varied 
comment  among  the  people,  but  the  majority 
were  pleased  that  they  had  been  honored  by  an 
invitation,  and  resolved  to  attend  and  do  what 
they  could. 

The  Sabbath  that  was  to  inaugurate  this  un- 
usual effort  on  the  part  of  the  people  of  the 
"  Wedge,"  opened  bright  and  fair,  and  by  ten 
o'clock,  which  was  the  hour  set,  the  common 
was  packed  with  people  as  it  had  never  been 
before.  At  the  Industrial  League  the  young 
ladies  had  opened  the  parlor  windows  and  filled 
them  full  of  bright,  cheery  faces.  In  the  tene- 
ment to  the  east  of  the  common  every  window 
had  its  listeners,  although  many  could  not  see 
the  speakers  because  of  the  canvas  roof. 

Promptly  at  the  hour  named,  the  volunteer 
choir  struck  up  "Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee." 


42O  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

The  audience  joined,  the  voices  gaining  in  num- 
ber and  strength,  the  chorus  swelling  in  volume, 
till  the  waves  of  sound  rolled  out  over  Van 
Alstyne,  Bruges,  and  Midnight  Streets  a  grand 
benediction  of  praise. 

Then  came  a  prayer  from  the  one-legged 
sailor,  whose  energy  and  industry  had  resulted 
in  the  canvas  roof.  He  prayed,  — 

"Our  Father  in  Heaven,  we  are  so  full  of 
thanks  that  we  are  like  a  water-logged  bark, 
able  neither  to  sink  or  swim.  We  are  loaded  to 
the  water's  edge  with  Thy  mercies.  We  were 
poor,  miserable  wrecks,  and  Thou  didst  save  us, 
and  now  we  sail  into  port  this  fine  Sunday 
morning  with  every  thing  calm  and  fine  about  us, 
and  our  captain  says,  Let  go  the  anchor,  for  this 
is  the  house  of  the  Lord,  our  haven  of  rest.  O 
Lord,  this  is  n't  much  of  a  house,  with  only  a 
canvas  roof  and  no  pews,  but  Thy  children  are 
in  it,  and  they  love  Thee " 

"Amen!"    rolled   out    a   deep,   nautical   voice. 

"We  haven't  got  much  money,  but  what  we 
have  belongs  to  Thee,  and  we  will  divide  just  as 
soon  as  you  show  us  the  right  cause " 

"Yes,  we  will!"  "It's  the  truth!"  came  the 
voices  of  the  crowd. 

"Now  let  Thy  light  shine  into  our  hearts. 
Give  us  Thy  Spirit,  and  make  us  full  of  love, 


THE  ROOF  MEETING.  421 


and    take    every    bit     of     stinginess    out     of    us. 
Amen ! " 

"Amen!"  "Amen!"  said  the  deep  bass  of  the 
listening  assemblage. 

"  Brethren  and  sisters,"  said  Mr.  Thomas,  rais- 
ing his  clear  voice  in  vain  attempt  to  equal  the 
trumpet  tones  of  the  old  sailor,  "  many  of  you 
no  doubt  received  our  circular,  but  to  those 
who  did  not,  I  will  explain  the  cause  of  this 
meeting.  When  first  we  gathered  here  we  were 
few  in  numbers,  and  did  not  know  whether  it 
would  please  the  Lord  to  have  us  continue  our 
meetings  or  not ;  but  our  numbers  have  grown 
From  one  or  two  who  loved  the  Lord  we  have 
increased  to  more  than  a  hundred.  Besides  those 
who  have  already  acknowledged  their  faith  in  the 
Saviour,  are  others  with  whom  the  Spirit  is 
striving,  and  who,  please  God,  will  come  out  on 
the  right  side." 

"  Yes  !   yes  !  " 

"  We  have  been  together  so  long  that  we 
wish  to  stay  together;  we  wish  all  the  other 
churches  well,  and  will  help  them  all  we  can 
to  save  souls,  but  right  on  this  spot  is  the 
place  where  most  of  us  found  the  Saviour, 
and  we  love  the  place  as  none  other  on  the 
earth." 

Tearful    cries    of    assent,   of    thanksgiving,    and 


422  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

heartfelt  amens,  acknowledged  that  the  speaker 
knew  their  minds.  He  went  on, — 

"There  was  a  time  when  we  could  afford  only 
the  blue  sky  as  a  covering  for  our  heads ;  then 
as  we  prospered  we  were  able  to  purchase  the 
present  canvas  roof ;  but  at  last  has  come  the 
time  when  we  can  afford  a  good,  substantial 
wooden  roof  that  shall  not  leak  in  any  storm 
of  rain,  nor  blow  to  shreds  in  the  strongest 
gale." 

"That's  the  talk!  We  can  afford  it,"  called 
the  crowd,  with  gaining  enthusiasm. 

A  burly  stevedore,  who  had  been  a  constant 
attendant  upon  the  meetings  for  weeks,  suddenly 
.eaped  upon  the  platform,  and  with  an  apologetic 
bow  to  Mr.  Thomas,  shouted, — 

"  Fellows,  let 's  take  this  bull  right  by  the 
horns,  and  do  what  we  'd  orter.  Let 's  build 
more  'n  a  ruff.  Let 's  put  up  a  buildin',  a  good, 
clean  one,  where  we  kin  gether  an'  hear  the 
minister  say  his  say,  and  if  it  's  rainin',  keep 
dry,  an'  if  it 's  cold,  keep  warm.  Now  just  so  you 
needn't  think  I'm  givin'  ye  guff,  there's  jist 
a  hundred  dollars  in  this  pile,  and  —  here  goes. 
Parson,  collar  the  dosh,  and  look  alive,  for  the 
boys  will  swamp  ye  with  it." 

At  once  the  audience  bristled  with  hands  and 
arms  in  which  there  were  purses,  bills,  and 


THE  ROOF  MEETING.  423 

silver,  and  a  general  collection  was  taken  up, 
a  record  being  kept  of  every  one  who  con- 
tributed to  the  fund.  After  the  first  excitement 
had  begun  somewhat  to  subside,  a  short,  fat 
man,  who  had  been  wedged  up  against  the 
fence  in  the  rear  of  the  crowd,  began  by  dint 
of  pushing  and  punching  to  work  his  way  for- 
ward, until  he  was  quite  near  the  platform ; 
then  he  took  off  his  hat,  and  raising  it  to  at- 
tract attention,  said,  — 

"  Meester,    can   you   told   who    I   vas?" 

"Your  name  is  Dittenhoffer,"  was  the  reply 
of  the  missionary. 

"  Yah,  yah,  you  vas  right.  Dittenhoffer  the 
brewer  is  what  I  vas." 

"Yes." 

"  Veil,  I  ain't  him  any  more,  already.  I  vas 
Dittenhoffer  de  Christian.  Mine  sins  vos  for- 
giffen,  I  vas  so  happy.  Bleeze  bass  de  gontri- 
bution  box.  I  vant  mein  share  in  dis  buildings." 

The  box  was  passed,  and  the  little  man 
pulled  bijls  out  of  almost  every  pocket  and 
stuffed  them  in,  uttering  grunts  of  joy,  and  tell- 
ing those  about  him  of  the  "  leedle  German 
girl  "  from  the  League,  who  had  shown  him  and 
his  "vrow"  the  way  of  life. 

While  Dittenhoffer  had  been  talking,  a  thin, 
scantily  clad  woman  slipped  up  to  the  plat- 


HER   OPPORTUNITY. 


form,  and  drawing  from  under  a  faded  shawl 
a  little  packet  of  bills,  thrust  it  into  the  treas- 
urer's hand,  and  tried  to  hurry  away.  Mr. 
Thomas,  however,  always  on  the  alert,  saw  the 
movement,  and  stepping  down  into  the  crowd, 
took  her  hand  and  said,  — 

"  We   want   your   name,    sister." 

"It  ain't  worth  putting  down,  sir.  I  can't 
come  to  many  of  the  meetin's  and  orter  be 
home  now  seein'  to  the  baby." 

"If  you  can  not  come  to  us  we  can  come  to 
you,  and  no  doubt  some  of  our  young  girls 
would  gladly  drop  in  an  evening  or  a  Sunday 
afternoon,  and  look  after  the  little  one  while 
you  go  to  church,"  said  the  missionary,  with  in- 
stant comprehension  of  the  genuineness  of  the 
excuse. 

A  little  kindly  questioning  brought  out  the 
woman's  story.  She  was  a  washerwoman,  a 
widow  with  six  small  children,  the  youngest  of 
whom  was  less  than  a  year  old.  All  day  long 
she  worked  down  town  scrubbing  the  marble 
floors  of  palatial  stores  and  elegant  offices, 
earning  hardly  enough  to  cover  rent,  food,  and 
fire.  By  the  most  careful  saving  she  had  gath- 
ered ten  dollars,  the  surplus  of  a  year's  labor, 
and  that  with  thankful  heart  and  streaming 
eyes  she  had  ROW  given  to  the  Lord. 


THE  ROOF  MEETING.  42$ 


His  own  eyes  full  of  tears,  Mr.  Thomas  again 
mounted  the  platform,  while  the  woman  hurried 
off  to  her  waiting  family,  and  with  the  story 
for  a  text,  he  preached  a  sermon  that  reached 
many  a  heart  present.  In  the  midst  of  it  came 
a  package  from  the  box-makers  at  the  League, 
containing  fifty  dollars  and  a  promise  of  as  much 
more  as  soon  as  they  could  save  it.  With  this 
came  promise  after  promise  from  the  audience. 
Men,  women,  and  even  children  who  had  no 
money,  then  pledged  themselves  to  self-denial  in 
many  ways,  with  an  eagerness  that  showed  they 
appreciated  the  benefit  the  church  would  be  to 
them,  and  they  were  moved  by  God's  Holy  Spirit 
to  lend  a  hand  just  where  it  was  needed. 

McFadden  now  rose  and  said,  in  a  quiet  voice 
that  still  could  be  heard  throughout  the  large 
audience,  — 

"Brethren  and  sisters,  I  'm  a  brand  pluckit 
frae  the  burnin',  and  I  neer  forget  it.  Many 's 
the  wrong  thing  that  I  've  dune  in  the  past, 
but  the  marcy  o'  the  Lord  hae  made  my  crooked 
paths  straight.  It  is  a  pleasure  tae  me  tae  gie 
a  sma"  sum  for  the  building  o'  this  hoose  o'  the 
Loord." 

Turning,  he  laid  a  bit  of  paper  on  the  table 
and  sat  modestly  down.  The  young  man  who 
had  been  elected  to  the  position  of  treasurer 


HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


opened  his  eyes  in  astonishment  as  he  read  the 
amount,  leaned  over  and  whispered  to  McFadden, 
who  nodded  that  it  was  all  right,  and  then  wrote 
on  the  books  the  name  of  the  Scotchman,  and 
opposite  it  the  sum  of  two  thousand  dollars. 

After  this,  the  missionary's  hundred,  Conlon's 
hundred  and  fifty,  and  various  sums  from  workers 
and  friends,  may  for  the  moment  have  seemed 
small,  but  they  were  given  just  as  heartily,  and 
the  audience  seemed  to  appreciate  the  fact  that 
in  one  case  the  self-denial  might  be  even  greater 
than  in  the  other. 

The  missionary  had  for  a  last  surprise  reserved 
a  paper  which  he  now  read,  it  being  a  deed  of 
gift  of  the  land  known  as  the  Gospel  common, 
from  Miss  Belle  Pitcairn. 

This  reawakened  the  enthusiasm,  and  now  that 
the  money  was  all  collected,  the  crowd  fell  natur- 
ally to  singing  and  giving  testimonies.  Glowing 
ones  they  were,  full  of  fire  and  consecration,  and 
empty  of  egotism.  This  general  meeting  was  kept 
up  until  the  missionary  announced  the  amount  of 
the  sums  given,  which  was  enough  to  begin  the 
work  at  once,  the  money  for  its  completion  be- 
ing furnished  by  a  rich  man  "  up  town." 

With  one  voice  the  people  joined  in  the  grand 
old  hymn,  "Be  Thou,  O  God,  Exalted  High," 
pealing  it  forth  till  man,  woman,  and  child  werq 


THE  ROOF  MEETING.  427 

thrilled  with  the  grandeur  and  beauty  of  the 
worship  of  God  in  song. 

"Mr.  Thomas,"  said  a  hearty  voice  after  the 
meeting  was  over  and  the  people  had  dispersed, 
"do  you  not  think  it  would  be  better  to  let  me 
give  at  least  half  of  that  sum  to  be  loaned  ? " 

"  No,  Governor,  I  do  not.  The  people  here, 
poor  as  they  are,  have  helped  build  many  a  rum 
palace,  and  they  will  be  blessed  in  building  one 
church.  If  they  can  not  swing  this  I  will  let 
you  know  and  ask  for  help,  but  it  is  best  for 
them  to  do  all  they  can." 

"Well,  I  suppose  you  know  best,  but  my  heart 
was  full  to  overflowing  when  all  were  paying 
out  their  hard-earned  money  so  freely ;  it  made 
me  feel  like  a  stingy  old  miser." 

"You  wrong  yourself,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Thomas, 
his  eyes  filling  with  tears.  "  Your  generosity 
saved  me  from  death,  years  since,  and  in 
hundreds  of  cases  has  it  been  felt.  But  I  am 
glad  that  you  saw  and  heard  all  to-day.  Whers 
were  you  ? " 

"In  the  directors'  parlor  at  the  League.  Every 
word  could  be  heard  there,  and  as  for  Belle, 
she  was  as  uneasy  as  a  fish  out  of  water,  until 
she  was  sure  that  you  understood  that  the 
building  was  to  be  put  on  the  land  that  she 
had  given,  not  loaned." 


428  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

"What  a  noble  woman  your  daughter  is,  sir! 
She  has  been  the  prime  mover  in  all  of  the  good 
work  done  in  this  section.  It  is  marvellous  how 
she  has  seemed  to  appreciate  the  needs  of  the 
people,  and  in  one  way  or  another  supply  them," 
exclaimed  Mr.  Thomas. 

"  She  is  a  noble  girl,  and  will,  I  hope,  grow 
into  a  fine  woman  some  day,"  said  the  Governor. 

Just  then  a  messenger  stepped  up,  and  touching 
the  missionary  on  the  shoulder,  said,  — 

"Mr.    Thomas?" 

"Yes." 

"Message  for  you,  sir.    Sign  here,  please." 

The  gentleman  broke  the  envelope  and  read, 
his  eyes  lighting  with  pleasure.  Soon  he  broke 
out,  — 

"  Governor,  listen    to    this  :  — 

"  '  No.  —  FIFTH   AVENUE. 
"  '  MR.  THOMAS,  — 

"  '  Sorry  that  I  can't  leave  to  join  your  love- 
feast.  Draw  on  me  for  one  year's  salary  for 
*.he  pastor. 

"'JOHN   BUCKINGHAM.'" 

"Bless  the  boy,"  said  the  Governor,  wiping 
his  eyes.  "  His  heart  is  in  the  right  place.,  \  'HI, 


THE  ROOF  MEETING.  429 

proud  of  him,  the  son  of  my  old  college  chum ; 
bless  his  big,  honest  heart  ! " 

"  I  wish  I  could  tell  you  what  a  power  for  good 
he  is  among  the  people  down  here,"  said  the 
missionary.  "The  people  fairly  worship  him.  He 
has  gone  into  the  hardest  parts  of  the  'Wedge,' 
and  by  his  Christian  manliness  has  won  the 
hearts  of  old  and  young." 

"  He  does  not  know  what  fear  is,"  said  the 
Governor. 

"  Except  that  fear  which  is  the  beginning  of 
wisdom,"  was  the  reply. 

The  "  after-meeting,"  attended  by  the  Governor 
and  Hs  daughter,  was  little  else  than  a  praise 
meeting,  even  the  exhortations  and  prayers  being 
full  of  thanksgiving.  Just  before  the  close  of  this 
service  a  slight  young  man,  clad  in  a  faded  blue 
suit,  wearing  linen  much  soiled,  arose  and  said  in 
a  voice  in  which  there  were  tears,  — 

"My  friends,  I  am  always,  as  you  might  say, 
glad  to  meet  with  Christians.  Although  a 
stranger  to  most  of  you,  I  feel  that  I  am  not, 
as  you  might  say,  a  stranger  in  the  truths  you 
believe.  I  have  wandered  far  away  from  the  fold, 
and  now  I  am  anxious  to  return.  Pray  for  me." 

Hardly  had  he  seated  himself  when,  to  the 
surprise  of  every  body,  Mr.  Chick  arose  and  said, 
in  an  «mbarrassed  yet  determined  way, — 


43°  HER  OPPORTUNITY 


"This  young  man  has,  as  he  has  said,  wan- 
dered far  away,  and  before  we  pray  for  him  it 
seems  to  me  that  he  had  bettei  acknowledge  that 
he  told  a  great  many  lies  about  persons  con- 
nected with  this  Mission." 

"  I  'm  sure  I  am  willing,  as  you  might  say, 
to  acknowledge  that  I  lied  when  I  said  I  was 
Professor  Buckingham's  valet,  for  I  never  worked 
for  him ;  and  when  Mr.  Chick  took  pity  on  me 
and  hired  me,  I  stole  his  clothes,  and  went  and 
lied  about  him,  as  you  might  say,  to  a  club  man 
down  town.  I  can't  remember  all  the  things 
that  I  've  done,  but  I  think  I  've  lied  about 
'most  every  body  of  prominence  down  here,  and 
I  'm  sorry,  and  hope  you  will  forgive  me." 

Of  course  he  was  forgiven,  and  put  on  a  long 
probation,  and  finally  really  seemed  to  become  a 
Christian.  He  never  became  a  bright  and  shin- 
ing light,  but,  as  he  used  to  say  of  himself, 
"  If  the  Lord  could  convert  a  backsliding  hypo- 
crite like  me,  that  lied  all  the  time,  and  that 
had  n't  one  honest  feeling,  why,  He  can  convert 
any  body ! " 


A   VOICE  FROM  THE  CHIMNEY.  43  1 


XXIX. 

/I   Voice,  p»0rr)  frj 


§TRONG,  energetic,  and  vigorous,  the  Profes- 
sor, fully  recovered  from  his  illness,  was 
walking  "'cross  town"  toward  the  Third-avenue 
Elevated  Railroad,  when  he  saw  in  front  of  him 
a  trim,  stylish  figure  that  caused  him  to  hasten 
his  steps. 

There  was  no  possibility  of  mistake,  it  was 
Miss  Pitcairn  out  for  a  walk,  and  by  great  good 
fortune  going  in  the  same  direction  that  he  was. 
So  fortunate  a  circumstance  would  be  taken  ad- 
vantage of  by  most  young  men,  and  the  Profes- 
sor hurried,  as  if  bound  for  the  Promised  Land 
and  a  trifle  late,  and  ere  another  block  was 
passed  was  by  the  lady's  side. 

"I  am  more  than  glad  to  see  you,"  she 
said,  when  the  usual  greetings  were  exchanged, 
"for  I  was  just  feeling  that  I  needed  your 
counsel." 

"I   wish    you    couli    realize   what   happiness    it 


43 2  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

gives  me  to  hear  you  say  so,"  was  the  response, 
spoken  gallantly,  and  in  a  more  lover-like  tone 
than  he  had  ever  before  used. 

Miss  Pitcairn  flushed  slightly,  and  a  shade  of 
sadness  showed  itself  for  a  moment  on  her  ex- 
pressive face,  a  look  that  her  companion  caught 
and  utterly  misunderstood.  She  went  on,  — 

"Lucy  wants  to  take  the  attics  of  her  house 
and  make  a  gymnasium  for  the  news-boys  and 
boot-blacks  —  a  place  where  they  can  be  kept 
from  the  theatres  and  streets  evenings.  What 
do  you  think  of  the  plan  ? " 

"  I  think  it  well  to  give  them  some  kind  Oi 
evening  recreation,  but  whether  the  attic  of  that 
house  is  fitted  for  it  is  a  question  that  I  do 
not  feel  competent  to  decide,"  was  the  answer, 
in  a  tone  that  had  in  it  a  certain  disappoint- 
ment that  caused  Belle  to  look  suddenly  and 
anxiously  into  her  escort's  face. 

"It  was  my  doubt  on  the  same  points  that 
led  me  to  wish  so  earnestly  to  consult  with 
you.  When  could  you  come  down  and  look  at 
the  place,  as  you  did  the  League  building  ? " 
asked  Belle. 

"I  am  on  my  way  to  the  'Wedge'  now," 
was  his  reply. 

"Are  you,  indeed?  So  am  I,  by  way  of  the 
Third-avenue  Elevated.  How  fortunate  it  was 


A    VOICE   FROM  THE   CHIMNEY.  43 2 

that  you  saw  me,"  said  the  Governor's  daughter, 
with  every  manifestation  of  pleasure. 

Under  the  magnetic  influence  of  her  voice,  the 
Professor's  feeling  of  disappointment  over  the  way 
in  which  he  fancied  his  gallantries  were  received, 
melted  rapidly  away,  and,  by  the  time  the  long 
stairs  leading  to  the  mid-air  station  were  reached, 
he  was  his  old  cordial  self.  What  a  delight  it 
was  to  him  to  help  the  beautiful  girl  up  the 
steep,  rubber-carpeted  stairs,  and  to  show  her 
into  the  small  waiting-room,  and  sit  by  her  side 
until  the  train  came ! 

With  a  rattle  and  prolonged  hiss  the  tiny 
engine  drew  up  alongside,  and  halting  its  long 
train  of  cars,  gave  the  waiting  passengers  a  brief 
moment  to-  hurry  on, — a  moment  improved  by 
the  gruff  guard,  who,  standing  with  one  hand  on 
the  signal-rope,  and  the  other  on  the  gate-crank, 
called:  "  Step  lively,  there!"  as  if  the  Metropol- 
itan Elevated  Railway  were  his  private  property, 
and  the  passengers  a  pack  of  nuisances  who 
abused  his  generosity  by  waiting  at  every  station 
to  catch  a  ride. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  state  that  the  train 
was  crowded,  —  so  much  so  that  the  aisles  were 
filled,  and  even  the  platform  black  with  passen- 
gers. Room  was  made  for  the  lady,  however, 
and  her  escort,  who  were  wedged  into  the  mass 


434  H&R  OPPORTUNl'fV. 


of  people  so  tightly  that  they  could  hardly 
breathe.  Just  within  the  door  stood  the  Pro- 
fessor, ana  in  front  of  him,  so  close  tnat  the 
feather  tips  on  her  hat  brushed  his  cheek  when 
she  moved,  stood  Belle.  At  the  next  station 
more  people  got  on,  and  the  crush  was  ^ven 
greater.  With  one  hand  the  Professor  held  to 
a  resting  strap,  and  with  the  other  holding  the 
arm  of  his  fair  charge,  steadied  her  when  the 
train  lurched  from  side  to  side,  or  when  some 
frantic  passenger  forced  his  way  through  to  the 
door,  in  an  endeavor  to  get  off.  Never  before 
had  he  stood  so  near  to  Miss  Pitcairn,  nor  had 
this  calm,  self-controlled  man  ever  in  all  his  life 
been  so  supremely  wretched.  Happy  and  un- 
happy, he  was  at  one  and  the  same  moment,  — 
happy  that  the  woman  that  he  loved,  and  at 
.ast  he  knew  it,  was  with  him,  was  by  the 
pressure  of  the  crowd  forced  into  his  very  arms, 
—  unhappy  because  he  believed  that  she  had  no 
feeling  toward  him  other  than  a  platonic,  sisterly 
regard.  What  would  he  not  have  dared,  to  drop 
the  strap,  —  to  brave  the  world  and  clasp  this 
fair  woman  to  his  heart,  and  tell  of  his  con- 
suming love  ?  Why  had  this  affection  grown  so 
quietly  in  his  heart,  that  now  to  uproot  it 
would  be  like  death  ? 

'Are   we   nearly   th^re?"    inquired   Belle,   turn- 


A    VOICE  FROM  THE   CHIMNEY  435 


ing  her  eyes  up  to  his  face  and  starting  at 
sight  of  his  paleness. 

"  I  'm  afraid  we  are,"  he  replied,  desperately. 
"  It  will  all  be  over  soon,  and  we  shall  be 
where  there  is  more  room." 

His  voice  had  in  it  a  trembling  tenseness, 
which  might  sound  like  suppressed  passion,  or 
frigid  weariness,  that  brought  a  crimson  flush 
to  the  fair  cheek  of  the  lady,  who,  to  cover  the 
look,  gazed  steadfastly  out  of  the  windows  at  the 
second-  stories  of  the  tenements  that  made  up 
the  scenery  of  the  ride.  The  Professor  dropped 
his  hand  from  the  strap,  and  it  fell  by  the  side 
of  hers,  —  a  touch  —  a  thrill  —  but  he  drew  it 
resolutely  away,  and  set  his  lips  with  an  ex- 
pression that  meant  absolute  self-abnegation. 

At  length  the  station  was  reached,  and  the 
vigorous  shouldering  of  the  Professor  opened  a 
way  for  the  pair  to  get  safely  out  upon  the 
platform,  and  from  thence  to  the  street,  where  a 
short  walk  brought  them  to,  the  Faith  Mission. 

"  If  you  will  wait  for  me  one  moment  I  will 
show  you  over  Lucy's  former  house,  the  upper 
rooms  of  which  are  to  be  used  as  a  gyiinasium," 
said  Belle,  leaving  him  and  hurrying  away  to 
the  missionary's  office,  a  little  room  to  which 
she  had  a  key.  Slipping  in,  she  threw  herself 
into  a  chair,  the  picture  of  hopelessness. 


436  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


"  No,  I  can  not  be  mistaken,"  she  hatf  sobbed. 
"He  does  not  love  me!  He  touched  my  hand, 
and  drew  back  as  if  it  hurt  him !  Tie  stood  by 
me,  kept  me  from  falling,  almost  held  me  in  his 
strong  arms,  and  cared  not  a  whit  that  my 
heart  was  bursting.  And  at  last  he  spoke  in 
impatience  of  the  length  of  the  ricle,  that  was 
to  me  the  shortest  and  sweetest  of  my  life.  O, 
how  could  mamma  have  been  so  blind  as  to 
think  that  he  could  care  for  me  ?  Why  am  I 
so  tried  ?  Why  should  I  so  suffer  ? " 

A  few  moments  later  Belle  rejoined  the  Pro- 
fessor, her  eyes,  perhaps,  a  trifle  bright,  but  her 
whole  bearing  calm  and  friendly.  Together  they 
passed  out  of  the  mission  room,  and  opening  the 
door  that  led  to  the  tenements  above,  ascended 
the  stairs.  Since  Bctteredge  had  been  dispos- 
sessed there  had  been  numerous  changes  in  this 
building,  prominent  among  which  were  the  clean, 
light  stairways.  On  all  of  the  floors  were  lodg- 
ers, except  on  the  lower  and  the  top.  Aside 
from  this,  as  is  well  known,  Lucy  had  one 
room  on  the  second  floor,  for  her  news-boy  and 
girl  class.  Up  to  the  great  attics  climbed  the 
Professor  and  his  companion,  the  latter  stopping 
often  to  exchange  a  word  with  some  neatly 
dressed  lodger,  and  once  there,  looked  about  to 
judge  the  capabilities  of  the  apartments. 


A    VOICE  FROM  THE   CHIMNEY,  437 

In  the  meantime  in  Lucy's  Sunday-school  room 
three  floors  below  sat  the  young  missionary  her- 
self, and  her  friend,  Mr.  Chick.  They  were  to 
meet  certain  of  the  waifs  that  afternoon,  and 
teach  them  verses  for  a  concert.  While  they 
waited  for  them  and  the  ever-helpful  Mrs. 
Thomas,  Lucy,  leaning  against  the  huge  fire- 
place, began  to  open  her  heart  to  Chick  upon 
a  topic  that  had  long  troubled  her.  Very  earn- 
estly did  she  talk,  and  after  his  usual  manner 
of  receiving  her  assertions  he  at  first  contra- 
dicted and  finally  fell  in  with  them. 

The  Professor  and  Belle  having  examined 
the  room  quite  thoroughly,  approached  the  fire- 
place to  decide  upon  the  system  of  heating, 
when  up  the  chimney,  in  Lucy's  childish  treble, 
came  the  startling  sentence,  — 

"  I  tell  you,  Professor  Buckingham  does  love 
Miss  Belle." 

There  was  a  moment  of  embarrassed  silence, 
and  then  the  gentleman  said,  in  a  strained 
voice,  — 

"  It 's  the  truth.  I  love  you  better  than  my 
own  life." 

Belle  turned  as  white  as  a  sheet,  and  swayed 
as  if  she  were  about  to  fall,  and  he  continued, — 

"I  had  thought  to  spare  you  this;  but  fate  is 
against  me,  and,  perhaps,  if  we  never  can  be 


43 8  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

more  to  each  other  than  friends,  can  not  it  be 
with  the  old  trustful  friendship  of  our  first  ac- 
quaintance ? " 

"  I  shall  always  be  your  friend,"  said  Belle,  in 
a  voice  scarcely  audible. 

"  The   trustful   friend   of  three   years  ago  ? " 

Belle   shivered   and   whispered,  — 

"  We  can  not  go  back  to  the  past.  It  is  your 
own  act  that  raised  the  barrier.  Sometimes  I 
forget  it  and  remember  you  as  you  were,  but 
then  again  it  comes  between  us." 

"  My  act  ?  What  is  this  barrier  ?  "  exclaimed 
the  Professor. 

"  Stanley  Armitage's  dog,"  replied  Belle,  in  a 
husky  voice. 

A  flash  of  anger  came  into  the  gentleman's 
eyes,  and  then,  as  he  saw  the  drooping  figure, 
his  look  changed  to  one  of  pity.  She  was  not 
mocking  him  ;  it  was  simply  some  weak  feminine 
caprice  that,  at  the  supreme  moment  of  his  life, 
was  to  rob  him  of  happiness.  Belle  glanced  up 
and  catching  the  pitying  gaze  broke  out  in  sud- 
den energy,  — 

"  You  should  know  what  I  mean.  I  was  look- 
ing out  of  the  window  when  you  so  heartlessly 
turned  away  from  the  animal  that  your  wheels 
wounded.  Mr.  Armitage  dismounted  and  knelt  in 
the  dust,  raised  the  creature  and  took  him  home 


A    VOICE  FROM  THE  CHIMNEY.  439 

That  is  the  barrier,  —  your  cold  cruelty  to  a 
dumb  animal.  O,  do  n't  look  at  me  that  way ! 
I  have  tried  to  forget  it,  —  tried  to  excuse  it, 
but  can't." 

"Miss  Pitcairn,"  said  the  Professor,  his  voice 
full  of  sweetness.  "  Had  I  known  this  before,  it 
would  have  saved  me  many  a  weary  hour.  I 
did  not  know  that  it  was  I  who  injured  Armi- 
tage's  dog.  The  story  was  told  me,  and  it 
thrilled  me  with  indignation,  but  it  never  oc- 
curred to  me  that  I  was  an  actor  in  it.  In  my 
drives  I  have  often  lost  myself  in  thought,  — 
many  times  the  thought  has  been  of  you.  A 
man  indulges  fancies  sometimes  that  are  hope- 
less." This  last  was  said  with  a  wan  smile  that 
went  straight  to  the  heart  of  the  maiden. 

"  Is   it   so   hopeless  ? "    she   said,    shyly. 

The  Professor  stepped  quickly  forward  and  said, 
hurriedly, — 

"  Tell   me   that   you   are    not    engaged    to    Stan 
ley    Armitage." 

Belle  lifted  her  true  eyes  to  her  lover's  face 
and  said,  — 

"  I  have  never  loved  Stanley  Armitage,  nor  am 
I  engaged  to  him.  You  have  not  questioned  me, 
but  in  atonement  for  my  unjust  suspicions  I  say, 
I  have  cared  for  none  but  you." 

A   moment,  and   the  arms   that   had   so  yearned 


44°  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

to  clasp  this  fair  woman  had  their  wish,  and  the 
strong  man  said,  chokingly,  — 

"  Thank  God,  my  darling,  my  darling  !  This  is 
reward  for  all  my  suffering." 

"  Have  you  suffered  ?  So  have  I,"  said  Belle, 
softly. 

"  When  I  thought  you  loved  another,  it  was 
agony,"  said  the  Professor,  kissing  her  brow, 
cheeks,  and  lips,  until  she  was  rosy  with  confu- 
sion and  shy  protest. 

"  How  strange  it  is,  but  I  too  was  perfectly 
miserable.  It  does  not  seem  possible  that  a  half 
hour  ago  I  was  in  the  mission  office,  my  heart 
aching,  and  aching  because  you  showed  such 
dislike  when  you  touched  my  hand,"  confessed 
Belle,  pillowing  her  shapely  head  on  the  broad 
breast. 

"  Dislike  ?  "  echoed  the  other.  "  O,  blind  little 
woman !  It  was  all  that  I  could  do  to  keep 
from  gathering  you  right  to  my  heart  then  and 
there,  and  defying  Stanley  Armitage  to  steal  you 
away." 

"  But,  we  are  forgetting  the  gymnasium,"  said 
Belle,  at  length  disengaging  herself  with  some 
difficulty. 

"  How  can  I  help  it  when  I  look  into  your 
eyes,  and  remember  that  you  love  me  ? "  said 
the  young  man. 


A    VOICE  FROM  THE   CHIMNEY.  441 

Belle  looked  grave,  and  to  her  lover  more  beau- 
tiful than  ever,  as  she  said,  earnestly,  — 

"  Dear,  my  love  for  you  began  when  I  saw 
how  unselfish  you  were,  and  the  more  I  knew 
of  the  good  you  did  to  others,  the  greater  grew 
my  affection.  Now,  let  us  have  no  selfishness 
in  this  love  of  ours.  We  have  both  been  work- 
ers together  to  uplift  this  community.  Can  we 
not  now,  with  stronger  faith  and  closer  sympa- 
thy, do  even  more  ? " 

"  Right  you  are,  you  blessed  little  woman," 
said  the  Professor  heartily,  giving  her  a  look  of 
such  admiration  and  love,  that  she  blushed  and 
stole  into  his  arms  to  hide  her  face  again,  till 
her  cheeks  stopped  burning.  "  Right  you  are. 
I  won't  be  selfish.  Give  me  the  note  book,  and 
I  will  put  down  the  rest  of  those  dimensions 
and  have  carpenters  here  to-morrow." 

This  work  finished,  the  young  couple  left  the 
great,  bare  apartment,  and  descending  the  stairs, 
retraced  their  steps  to  the  elevated  station.  Once 
in  the  cars,  they  found  scats,  and  the  Professor, 
to  his  regret,  had  not  the  opportunity  to  stand 
and  support  his  now  betrothed  wife,  as  he  had 
fondly  dreamed ;  yet  the  ride  was  full  of  happi- 
ness to  both,  and  the  gentleman  was  in  danger 
of  being  carried  by  the  proper  station,  so  ab- 
sorbed did  he  become  in  the  lovely  woman  by 


442  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 


his  sid£.  Once  at  the  Governor's  residence,  the 
young  man  had  rather  felt  that  he  must  go,  but 
his  reluctance  was  so  evident  that  Belle,  smiling 
and  happy,  invited  him  in  to  dinner. 

As  he  sat  alone  for  an  instant,  while  Belle 
was  absent  removing  her  wraps,  who  should  come 
in  but  the  Governor,  portly  and  cordial  ? 

"  Ah,  Buckingham,  how  do  you  find  stocks  ? " 
he  asked,  with  a  smile,  for  the  good  man  had 
been  so  pleased  at  the  deal  in  which  he  had 
bought  Stanley  Armitage's  stock  and  cleared  a 
half  million,  that  he  liked  to  chuckle  over  it. 

"  I  have  n't  done  much  in  them  lately,  al- 
though I  see  that  mine  is  worth  more  than  it 
was  before  the  depression,  but  I  should  like  to 
ask  you  for  another  loan,"  was  the  reply. 

"How  much,  now?  Glad  to  accommodate  you!" 
said  the  Governor,  heartily. 

At  this  moment  Belle  returned,  and  the  young 
man  took  her  hand  and  standing  up  in  the  full 
pride  and  strength  of  his  splendid  manhood, 
said,  — 

"  Governor,  I  wish  to  negotiate  for  the  per 
manent  possession  of  your  daughter,  whom  I  love 
and  whom  I  will  cherish  all  the  days  of  my  life." 

The  old  man  rose,  his  face  full  of  emotion, 
and  advancing  to  Belle,  said,  in  a  tender  voice 
that  brought  tea:'s  to  her  eyes,  — 


A    VOICE  FROM  THE  CHIMNEY.  443 


"  Little   one,    shall   I   say   yes  ? " 

"  I   love   him,   papa,"    came   the   low   response. 

"  Then  it 's  all  right.  I  would  rather  you  would 
have  her  than  any  man  I  know,  Buckingham, 
but  it  gives  my  heart  strings  a  tug  to  think  of 
my  little  Belle  belonging  to  any  one  but  mother 
and  me,"  said  the  Governor,  blowing  his  nose 
with  suspicious  loudness,  and  soon  after  leaving 
the  room. 

"  Poor  papa,  he  will  feel  lonely  enough,  now," 
said  Belle,  sorrowfully. 

"  Lonely !  O,  no,  he  will  in  a  little  while 
feel  that  it  was  the  very  best  thing  that  could 
happen.  Has  he  not  many  times  told  me  that 
he  wished  he  had  a  boy  ?  Did  he  not  even  once 
tell  me  that  if  he  had  a  son  like  me,  and  a 
daughter  like  Belle,  '  bless  her  heart,'  that  he 
would  be  the  happiest  man  in  the  world  ?  Now, 
his  wish  is  to  come  to  pass.  I  will  be  to  him 
a  son.  We  will  not  allow  ourselves  to  be  self- 
ish, dearest,  but  will,  as  you  have  advised,  make 
all  those  who  have  been  benefited  or  helped  by 
our  presence  in  the  past,  twice  as  happy  in  the 
future,  by  our  combined  helpfulness  and  love." 

"  That 's  a  sentiment  worthy  of  you,  my  son," 
called  a  hearty  voice  from  the  doorway,  "and 
you  may  consider  yourself  from  this  moment 
adopted  into  the  family  under  the  name  of  John. 


444  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


Now,  as  my  foot  is  a  bit  troublesome,  suppose 
you  go  up  and  escort  your  mother  down  to  din- 
ner, and,  by  the  way,  she  does  not  suspect  the 
truth,  so  you  may  as  well  tell  her.  She  is  in 
the  'Bible  room.'" 

Very  obediently  the  newly  elected  son  went 
to  the  "Bible  room,"  a  small  octagonal  apartment, 
where  the  family  had  always  gathered  for  relig- 
ious study.  It  was  beautifully  fitted  with  refer- 
ence books,  maps,  and  other  helps,  and  was  one 
of  the  lady's  favorite  retreats. 

Ten  minutes  later  the  Professor  appeared  with 
Mrs.  Pitcairn  on  his  arm,  and  the  way  in 
which  she  kissed  her  daughter,  and  her  proud 
and  affectionate  glance  toward  her  escort,  showed 
that  she  had  no  word  or  thought  but  would  add 
to  the  happiness  of  the  newly  adopted  son. 


UNWI^LINGLl    COXrtXC&D.  445 


XXX. 


BACHELOR  party  of  four  were  gathered 
in  a  luxurious  private  parlor  of  the  Hoff- 
man, before  a  table  furnished  with  costly  plate 
and  magnificent  china.  The  occasion  was  a  quiet 
birthday  dinner  to  the  popular  club  man  and 
railroad  king,  Stanley  Armitage,  and  occurred 
two  years  after  the  events  narrated  in  the  pre- 
ceding chapter. 

It  was  just  such  a  gathering  as  that  aristo- 
cratic gentleman  enjoyed,  where  the  ingenuity  of 
the  chef  was  taxed  to  its  utmost  to  provide  rare 
and  palatable  dishes,  where  the  table  service  was 
without  flaw,  and  the  few  guests  those  whom  he 
had  long  known. 

The  wine  flowed  freely,  and  the  conversation 
was  varied,  but  always  pleasant  and  gentlemanly. 
The  sallies  of  wit  were  greeted  with  laughter 
that  had  in  it  no  element  of  boisterousness,  for 
it  was  one  of  the  articles  of  faith  of  these 
feasters  that  a  gentleman  was  always  such,  drunk 


HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


or  sober,  —  not  that  any  of  the  parly  were  given 
to  intoxication,  but  the  champagne  had  loosened 
their  tongues  for  the  moment  and  made  them  a 
trifle  more  confidential  than  usual. 

"I  say,  Redmond,  I  saw  Buckingham  last  night, 
and  he  is  off  for  Europe  next  week  for  a  short 
vacation, — going  to  take  his  wife  and  the  boy." 

•"  O,  no,  the  boy  is  to  be  left  at  the  Gov- 
ernor's," said  the  gentleman  addressed,  with  a 
lazy  intonation.  "  I  dropped  into  the  Profes- 
sor's last  night  and  learned  all  about  it." 

"  You  gentlemen  appear  to  be  well  versed  in 
Buckingham's  domestic  affairs,"  remarked  Armi- 
tage,  accepting  a  light  from  the  ready  waiter 
and  smoking  with  luxurious  air. 

"  I  consider  myself  a  lucky  fellow  to  be  in 
vited  there,  and  so  would  you,  old  man,  if  you 
were  acquainted  with  them.  They  arc  the  most 
charmingly  hospitable  people  in  New  York  ;  and 
as  for  the  baby  boy,  he's  a  beauty, — a  big, 
black-eyed,  knowing  chap,  who  can  be  seen  it 
you  are  intimate  enough  to  ask  for  him,"  replied 
Redmond,  warmly. 

"A  bachelor  raves  e'er  domestic  bliss,"  returned 
Stanley,  with  pronounced  sarcasm,  which,  however, 
passed  unheeded. 

"  Well,  if  I  could  be  as  happily  settled  as  the 
'Prof.,'  I  would  forsake  the  vanities  of  this  evil 


UNWILUNGLY  CONVINCED.  447 


world,  especially  as  represented  by  the  Hoffman, 
and  be  an  ornament  tc  society,"  said  the  gen- 
tleman, more  than  half  in  earnest. 

"  It  is  easy  enough  to  be  so  settled,"  said  the 
railroad  magnate,  with  an  acidity  of  tone  more 
marked  than  before.  "Just  take  a  deep  interest 
in  some  mission  in  the  slums  of  the  city,  bribe 
some  of  the  hangers-on  to  be  ever  ready  with 
benedictions,  then  talk  it  up  to  the  prettiest  girl 
you  can  find,  and  make  her  think  that  she  has 
a  call  to  assist  these  people.  When  she  is  in- 
terested, propose  that  you  and  she  join  hands 
in  this  glorious  work.  She  will  at  once  accept. 
Then  when  you  are  married  and  nicely  settled, 
and  family  cares  accumulate,  you  and  she  will 
begin  to  let  the  mission  take  care  of  itself,  and 
will  finally  agree  that  it  is  your'  duty  to  go 
abroad,  and  will  pack  up  and  start  for  Europe." 

Redmond  listened  to  this  half-sarcastic  speech 
with  a  flush  rising  to  his  cheeks  and  fire  in  his 
eye,  but  his  answer  was  as  calm  as  if  he  were 
discussing  the  color  of  the  other  side  of  the 
moon, 

"You  have  evidently  been  grossly  misinformed 
concerning  the  Buckinghams,  for  your  reference 
to  their  work  can  not  mean  any  thing  else  but  a 
belief  that  it  is  a  pretense  from  beginning  to 
end." 


448  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


"  O,  perhaps  so,"  said  Stanley,  "but  people  may 
rave  all  they  please  about  city  mission  work. 
The  '  Wedge  '  will  always  be  the  '  Devil's  Wedge,' 
and  no  one  can  really  change  it.  A  few  con- 
verts may  be  made,  but  I  very  much  doubt  if 
it  pays  for  the  effort." 

"  You    have   been    there  ?  " 

"Been  there!"  exclaimed  Armitage.  "When  I 
was  a  'blood'  and  worked  all  day.  in  the  office, 
I  used  to  run  round  town  nights  with  a  couplt 
of  detectives  that  I  knew,  just  for  excitement 
I  have  been  into  Conlon's  many  a  time,  and  .«J' 
through  the  Cosmopolitan,  kept  by  an  */d 
Scotchman " 

"  McFadden  ? " 

"  Yes,    that 's   the   name.     Is   he   still   there    ' 

"  O,  yes,  he  still  runs  the  old  hotel,"  r<.y>'ied 
Redmond. 

"Then  there  was  the  beer  garden  ct  the 
next  corner  to  Conlon's.  Why,  I  got  knocked 
down  and  robbed  there  one  night,  in  s^'te  of 
the  detective  that  I  had  with  me,  and  rh:a  both 
of  us  were  hustled  out  into  the  street  v  >th  the 
clothes  nearly  torn  from  our  backs  and  o^r  stiff 
hats  crushed  all  out  of  shape.  O,  yes,  I  know 
the  place,  or  did,  when  I  was  fool  enough  tc 
'do  the  town.'  " 

"How   long   since  you   were   there?" 


UNWILLINGLY  CONVINCED.  449 


"About  three  years  ago  was  my  last  visit,  and 
then  I  vowed  I  would  let  the  slums  alone  and 
be  satisfied  with  the  more  respectable  sights  of 
the  city." 

"Say,  gentlemen,  let's  go  over  to  this  'Devil's 
Wedge '  and  have  a  look  at  it,"  broke  in  young 
Stockbridge,  who,  fresh  from  college,  had  not 
seen  as  much  of  the  darker  side  of  city  life  as 
his  companions. 

"  Your  eloquence  has  fired  him  with  an  ambi- 
tion that  is  my  own  in  part,"  said  the  fourth 
member  of  the  party,  a  stout  gentleman,  bald, 
florid,  and  fast,  yet  eminently  respectable  by 
reason  of  high  birth  and  wealth. 

A  carriage  was  called,  and  the  four  were  soon 
seated  in  it  and  rolling  toward  the  portion  of 
the  city  that  had  been  under  discussion.  During 
the  ride  Armitage  laughingly  showed  a  handsome 
silver- mounted  seven -shooter  that  he  had  bor- 
rowed from  the  hotel  clerk,  saying, — 

"  I  do  not  propose  to  be  handled  as  roughly 
as  I  once  was,  for  I  feel  that  I  am  older  and 
could  n't  stand  it  as  well.  With  this  in  my 
overcoat  pocket  I  can  take  care  of  myself,  and 
not  spoil  the  set  of  my  collar  in  so  doing." 

"  Say,  old  man,  let 's  take  in  every  public 
building  in  the  'Wedge,'  no  matter  how  danger- 
ous the  thing  looks,"  said  Redmond. 


45°  HER   OPPORTUNITY. 

"Very   well,"  was   the   half-reluctant   reply. 

"  I   will   bet   a   fifty   that   you   back   out." 

"Done,"  said  Armitage.  "Of  course  this  means 
only  such  buildings  as  are  open  to  the  public  ? 
No  tenements  are  to  be  invaded." 

"  Only  places  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
public,"  was  the  reply. 

On  rolled  the  coupt,  and  the  gentlemen,  lean- 
ing back  against  its  luxurious  cushions,  smoked 
and  chatted  until  the  driver  drew  up  in  front 
of  Conlon's  as  the  first  place  of  interest  to  be 
visited. 

"  Faith  Mission,"  read  Armitage  in  amazement. 
"  Why,  Conlon  must  have  moved  from  here. 
Say,  boy,  where  is  Conlon,  nowadays  ? " 

The   youngster   addressed   said   respectfully,  — 

"  I  think  you  '11  find  him  inside  o'  the  Mis- 
sion, sir.  He  wuz  there  a  few'  minutes  ago." 

"  Yes,    but    where   is   his   saloon   now  ? " 

"  He  do  n't  keep  no  saloon.  He 's  superinten- 
dent o'  the  Mission  an'  ingineer  down  ter  Dowd's 
Factory." 

"  Whew !  Sorry,  boys,  but  this  was  one  of 
the  places  where  things  were  kept  lively.  They 
had  a  fight  'most  every  night,  and  when  it  got 
too  noisy,  '  Big  Tom  '  would  pound  with  the  butt 
of  a  revolver  and  yell,  '  Less  noise,  thar ! '  and 
if  all  was  not  quiet  at  once,  would  shoot.  But 


UNWILLINGLY  CONVINCED.  451 

now  the  whole  place  is  changed.  Why,  the 
upper  part  of  this  building  was  the  roughest 
kind  of  a  tenement,  and  now,  by  that  sign,  I 
see  it 's  a  Newsboys'  Home.  No  object  in  going 
in  here  now." 

"Not    unless   you   are  willing  to  lose  your  bet." 

Armitage  halted  at  this  reminder,  and  then, 
throwing  away  his  cigar,  stepped  quietly  in,  and 
followed  by  his  three  friends,  found  a' seat.  The 
room  was  fairly  full  of  persons  of  both  sexes, 
who  were  almost  all  welcomed  as  they  entered 
by  a  quiet -appearing  gentleman,  who  now  came 
forward  to  speak  with  the  visitors. 

"  Won't  you  come  further  to  the  front  and 
help  in  the  singing  ? "  he  said,  holding  out  his 
hand,  which  was  shaken  by  Redmond  only. 

"  Thanks,  we  are  not  singers,  but  are  only  off 
on  a  quiet  lark  and  are  looking  for  a  man  named 
Conlon,"  said  Armitage. 

"That  is  my  name,"  said  the  stranger,  looking 
keenly  at  the  speaker. 

Stanley  was  for  the  moment  embarrassed,  then 
he  said,  — 

"It  was  the  old  Conlon  we  sought,  —  the  man 
who  kept  the  hardest  'dive'  at  the  'Wedge.' 
You  may  have  been  the  man  once,  but  you  cer- 
tainJy  are  not  now." 

"Thank   God,   I'm   not,"   was   the   grave   reply. 


45 2  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

"  More  money  in  this  ? "  inquired  the  other, 
easily. 

"  I  made  a  hundred  dollars  a  week  clear,  out 
of  my  saloon,  and  loafed  at  that.  Now  I  work 
sixteen  hours  a  day  and  get  twenty  dollars  a 
week  as  engineer,"  said  Conlon,  with  a  happy 
smile. 

"  Why  do  n't  you  go  into    the  business   again  ? " 

"  Because  the  Lord  Jesus  Chri^  has  cleansed 
my  heart  from  sin,  and  instead  of  leading  my 
fellow-men  to  perdition  I  am  trying  to  save  them 
from  it." 

Armitage  moved  uneasily  under  this  answer, 
and  was  about  to  suggest  an  adjournment,  when 
a  question  was  asked  that  led  to  the  story  of 
Mr.  Thomas'  first  visit  to  the  place,  and  of  the 
impression  that  his  prayer  created. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  he  knelt  and 
prayed  in  the  face  of  one  of  your  crowds  ? '' 
asked  Stanley,  in  amaze. 

"That's  just  what  he  did,  and  'Big  Tom' 
all  ready  to  shoot  him  any  minute,"  said  the 
other. 

"  Well,  he  has  got  grit,  at  any  rate,"  mur- 
mured the  millionaire. 

"  And  grace,  too,"  responded  Conlon,  as  his 
guests,  refusing  to  stay  until  the  meeting  opened, 
departed  in  search  of  the  beer  garden. 


UNWILLINGLY  CONVINCED.  453 

It  was  but  a  step  away,  and  a  moment  later 
Armitage,  in  a  tone  of  relief,  saw  the  great  gilt 
sign  that  read,  "  Workingmen's  Garden,"  and 
said,  — 

"  Here  we  are  at  the  place  that  I  told  you  of 
when  I  was  robbed  and  'bounced.'  They  have 
polished  it  up  a  bit,  but  it 's  probably  none  the 
less  lively  for  that." 

Pushing  open*  the  green  door  they  stepped  in 
and  found  themselves  in  a  large  hall,  dotted  with 
tiny  round  tables  and  beautifully  decorated  with 
foliage  plants  and  pictures.  Before  they  had  a 
chance  to  recover  from  their  surprise  a  polite 
waiter  had  shown  them  to  a  table,  and  they 
were  seated. 

"  Can  I  serve  you  with  any  thing  ? "  asked 
the  waiter. 

"  Bring  some  bottled  beer,"  said  Stanley,  after 
consulting  the  tastes  of  his  companions. 

"  Ginger  or    spruce  ? " 

"  Lager,"    said   the   other,    shortly. 

"Only  temperance  drinks  here,  sah,"  was  the 
polite  reply. 

Armitage  flushed  with  angry  amazement  and 
said,  — 

"  Do  n't  bring  any  thing.  Gentlemen,  this  place 
is  evidently  not  what  we  are  seeking.  Let's  get 
out." 


454  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 

As  they  left,  the  really  fine  orchestra  on  the 
platform  struck  up  "What  a  Friend  we  have  in 
Jesus,"  and  the  crowds  at  the  tables  joined  over 
their  lunches  and  temperance  drinks. 

"  Not  a  very  hard-looking  set  of  men  in  there," 
said  Stockbridge,  —  a  sally  to  which  the  leader 
made  no  answer. 

Turning  up  Van  Alstyne  Street,  Armitage  re- 
membered a  little  German  saloon  that  was  a  door 
or  two  above,  and  mentally  resolved  to  step  in 
and  get  "  a  glass  of  beer,"  for  he  was  really 
thirsty.  Remembering  former  failures,  however, 
he  said  nothing  about  it  until  he  reached 
the  door,  when,  to  his  disgust,  he  saw  not  a 
saloon,  but  a  grocery.  Involuntarily  he  looked 
up  and  down  the  street  opposite  him  for  the 
familiar  liquor  dispenser's  sign,  but  saw  not 
one.  Without  saying  a  word  he  walked  along 
by  Redmond's  side  until  the  latter  attempted  to 
turn  into  a  building  that  had  every  appearance 
of  being  a  church,  when  he  remonstrated. 

"  '  Every  public  building,'  so  said  the  bet," 
was  the  statement,  accompanied  by  a  jolly  laugh, 
and  the  others  joining  in  the  idea.  Armitage 
was  forced  to  yield  and  enter  with  the  rest. 

A  very  neat  little  chapel  the  edifice  proved  to 
be,  and  here,  as  at  the  Mission,  a  service  was 
in  progress,  and  the  audience,  neat,  well  dressed, 


UNWILLINGLY  CONVINCED.  455 

and  respectable,  were  so  intent  on  the  words  of 
the  speaker  that  they  did  not  note  the  entrance 
of  the  strangers. 

"What  I  wish  tae  reiterate  is  the  fact  o'  our 
individual  responsibility  for  the  wickedness  o'  this 
great  city,"  he  said. 

"  Why,  it 's  old  McFadden,"  ejaculated  Arrni- 
tage,  under  his  breath. 

"  Noo,  here  is  this  chapel  that,  except  for  the 
gift  o'  the  land  to  pit  it  on,  we  hae  built  an' 
paid  for  ourselves.  There  suld  be  five  hundred 
just  like  it  in  the  slums  o'  this  wicked  city. 
We  hae  been  greatly  blessed.  The  rum  curse 
has  been  almaist  driven  from  this  section.  We 
that  aforetime  were  idlers,  brawlers,  and  droonken 
wretches  are,  by  God's  grace,  sober,  honnust,  and 
happy.  This  place  was  aince  the  '  Deil's  Wedge/ 
but  noo  it  is  God's  Wedge,  and  by  His  halp 
we  '11  use  it  tae  split  the  poors  o'  unbelief,  cor- 
ruption, ana  eentemperance,  till  the  auld,  tough 
tree  tae  which  they  belong  is  reduced  to  chips 
and  spleenters." 

"  Have  we  been  here  long  enough  ? "  asked 
the  millionaire. 

Again   on    the    street    Redmond    said, — 

"The  next  building,  that  fine  one  on  the  cor- 
ner, is  the  '  Industrial  League,'  Mrs.  Bucking- 
ham's pet  project,  but  as  it  is  for  young  ladies 


456  ;iER  OPPORTUNITY. 

only,  perhaps  we  had  best  save  the  blushes  of 
our  bachelor  friends  and  not  attempt  to  visit  it." 

"As  you  please,"  was  the  reply,  but  with  a 
look  of  relief  at  the  suggestion. 

The  ordeal,  however,  was  not  quite  over,  for 
at  that  instant  an  elegant  carriage  rolled  up,  and 
a  lady  and  gentleman  alighted  so  near  at  hand 
that  the  strolling  party  were  close  upon  them 
before  retreat  was  possible. 

"  Why,  Redmond,  happy  to  see  you,"  said  the 
pleasant  voice  of  Professor  Buckingham,  as  he 
bowed  to  Armitage  and  the  others.  "Were  you 
on  your  way  to  our  reception  ? " 

"  Do  n't  say  no,"  said  Mrs.  Buckingham,  as 
beautiful  as  when  they  had  known  her  as  Miss 
Pitcairn.  "  You  and  Mr.  Armitage  and  your 
friends  will,  I  am  sure,  be  much  interested.  It 
is  only,  after  all,  an  informal  affair.  A  few 
charades  and  tableaux  that  the  girls  have  ar- 
ranged in  the  parlors." 

"  I  should  like  to  come,"  said  Redmond,  turn- 
ing to  the  others,  all  of  whom  were  more  than 
willing,  with  the  single  exception  of  Stanley,  who 
stood  with  a  dark  frown  that  showed  through 
his  polished  smile  and  chewed  the  end  of  his 
glove  savagely.  Too  polite,  however,  to  demur, 
he  went  in  with  the  rest,  and  sat  through  the 
entertainment  outwardly  calm,  yet  inwardly  so 


UNWILLINGLY  CONVINCED.  457 


full  of  a  variety  of  emotions,  none  of  them  cred- 
itable, that  he  heard  hardly  a  word  of  the  pretty 
speeches,  nor  knew  what  was  done  in  the  cha- 
rades. In  spite  of  Ms  pre-occupation  he  could 
not  but  see  that  the  denizens  of  the  institution 
were  well  dressed,  bright,  and  happy,  and  that 
what  they  did  was  well  done.  He  saw,  also,  that 
the  whole  company  loved  and  respected  the  Pro- 
fessor and  his  charming  wife  as  few  people  in 
this  world  deserve. 

At  length  the  ordeal  was  over,  and  the  gentle- 
men bade  their  gracious  hostess  good-night  and 
went  back  to  their  carriage.  Instead  of  return- 
ing to  the  Hoffman,  Armitage  pleaded  a  head- 
ache and  was  driven  to  his  home.  As  he  stepped 
0ut  of  the  carnage  Stockbridge  said,  — 

"  Say,  Armitage,  old  man,  will  you  take  me 
up  to  the  Buckinghams'  some  time  next  week 
with  you  ?  I  heard  her  invite  you  and  Red- 
mond." 

"  No,  I  won't,"  was  the  answer,  as  the  mill- 
ionaire hurried  into  the  house. 

"Well,  I  must  say,  that's  short,"  exclaimed 
the  young  man,  much  hurt. 

"Never  mind  him.  He  is  in  a  huff,  and  if 
you  won't  tell  any  one,  I  will  let  you  know 
why.  He  was  sweet  on  Miss  Pitcairn  himself 
once,  and  she  preferred  the  Professor." 


458  HER  OPPORTUNITY. 


"You   do  n't   say?" 

"  Indeed,  I  do,  and  my  idea  in  getting  him 
to  come  down  to  the  'Wedge'  to-night  was  to 
forever  stop  his  sneering  remarks  about  the 
work  done  there." 

"Well,    I    guess   you   have   done    it." 

"  I  guess  I  have.  Why,  old  boy,  sceptical 
good-for-nothing  that  I  am,  when  I  see  what 
that  good,  true  woman  and  her  noble  husband 
have  done  right  in  the  heart  of  one  of  the 
wickedest  cities  in  the  world,  I  just  take  off 
my  hat  and  stand  uncovered  with  a  feeling  that 
I  am  in  the  very  presence  of  the  Lord." 

That  evening,  on  their  return  from  the  recep- 
tion at  the  League,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Buckingham 
found  the  Governor  seated  in  the;r  drawing- 
room,  listening  with  his  old  amused  smile  to 
Lucy,  who,  grown  to  quite  a  young  lady,  was 
detailing  her  trials  with  the  boys  and  girls  at 
the  Newsboys'  Home,  and  the  wonderful  advan- 
tages they  enjoyed. 

"  Lucy  thinks  that  Harold  ou-^ht  to  be  put 
into  the  Home  for  a  year  or  two,  that  he  may 
have  no  false  estimate  of  life,"  said  the  Gover- 
nor, teasingly. 

"  Why ! "    exclaimed    Miss   Betteredge   in   amaze. 

"  At  least  your  remark,  that  '  if  all  of  the 
cb!!dren  on  Fifth  Avenue  had  their  excellent 


UNWILLINGLY  CONVINCED.  459 

training  they  would  grow  into  more  useful  men 
and  women,'  led  me  to  think  so,  especially  when 
you  further  stated  that  if  you  had  your  way 
they  should  each  and  every  one  of  them  have 
a  year  or  two  of  it." 

"  I  doubt  if  Lucy's  democratic  ideas  are  so 
advanced  as  to  include  our  baby,  Harold;  in- 
deed, I  believe  they  vvould  embrace  every  other 
infant  in  Christendom  first,"  said  the  Professor. 

"  Papa,  why  were  you  not  there  to-night  ? " 
asked  his  daughter,  sitting  on  the  arm  of  his 
chair  and  running  her  fingers  through  his  iron- 
gray  hair. 

"  Could  n't   leave    Lucy   and   the  baby." 

"  Ah,  but  we  had  such  a  pleasant  evening, 
and  Mr.  Stanley  Armitage  and  three  of  his 
friends  visited  the  League." 

"You  take  my  breath  by  such  startling  as- 
sertions, dear.  Did  the  gentleman  come  wil- 
lingly ?  " 

"  Not  very,"  laughed  the  lady.  "  His  friends 
wanted  to  come,  and  he  was  too  polite  to  re- 
fuse, but  he  did  not  enjoy  it  at  all.  I  was  very 
glad  that  he  could  hear  the  financial  statement 
of  the  League  read,  however,  and  understand 
that  it  is  more  than  self-supporting." 

"  I  took  occasion  to  tell  him  that  real  estate 
had  advanced  more  than  a  hundred  per  cent 


HER   OPPORTUNITY. 


since  the  church  was  built  and  the  saloons 
closed,"  remarked  the  Professor. 

"Why  was  I  not  there?"  exclaimed  the  Gov- 
ernor. "How  I  should  have  enjoyed  showing 
him  over  the  '  Wedge,'  and  explaining  things 
that  he  has  so  persistently  sneered  at  !  " 

"  Why,  papa,  that  would  be  a  very  wrong 
spirit,"  laughed  Belle. 

"  Even  if  real  estate  had  gone  down,  and  the 
enterprises  were  not  self-supporting,  it  would  be 
a  success,"  said  Lucy,  her  large  eyes  .  full  of 
earnestness. 

"  You  are  right,  dear,"  said  the  young  wife. 
"The  fact  that  souls  have  been  saved  makes  the 
work  a  grand  success,  and  one  that  should  not 
be  lost  sight  of." 

"  And  to  my  mind  it  is  a  long  step  toward 
the  evangelization  of  the  heathen  in  our  midst, 
the  hundreds  of  thousands  that  dwell  in  our 
great  cities,"  said  the  Governor,  earnestly. 

A  few  more  words  and  our  story  is  finished. 
The  great  box  factory  and  the  numerous  philan- 
thropic institutions  that  were  the  outgrowth  ot 
its  wise  administration,  grew  year  by  year  and 
did  incalculable  good.  To  the  factory  was  added 
an  art  department,  where  the  most  delicate  sou- 
venir boxes  were  made  and  decorated  by  young 


UNWILLINGLY  CONVINCED.  461 

ladies,  who,  at  the  expense  of  the  Van  Alstyne 
Manufacturing  Company,  were  thoroughly  edu- 
cated in  drawing  and  painting.  From  the  mill 
went  forth  a  host  of  young  women  fitted  for 
higher  places,  while  a  host  remained  —  contented, 
industrious,  useful. 

The  most  conspicuous  example  of  a  happy 
graduation  from  the  active  duties  of  the  factory 
was  the  often-quoted  case  of  Miss  Murdock,  who 
surprised  everybody  by  falling  in  love  with  and 
marrying  Mr.  Chick,  after  he  had  wooed  her  for 
nearly  two  years.  The  wedding  was  a  fashion- 
able one,  and  the  bride  was  lovely.  To-day  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Chick, — the  former  grown  into  a  capa- 
ble business  man  and  still  retaining  the  grand  good 
qualities  that  his  "dudishness"  never  wholly  hid, 
the  latter  a  bright,  cheery  helpmeet, — are  among 
the  most  popular  young  people  in  Gotham,  and 
live  as  befits  their  wealth.  If  I  should  mention 
the  plan  that  they  are  maturing  for  a  hotel  on 
the  Sound,  a  half-hour's  ride  from  the  factory, 
with  a  special  steamer  to  carry  the  workers  to 
and  from  the  city  during  the  heat  of  summer, 
it  might  be  thought  premature,  and  I  desist. 

John  Conlon  is  still  a  power  at  the  "Wedge," 
and  has  risen  to  be  general  superintendent  of 
the  box  factory.  His  wife,  still  young  and  fair, 
is  wealthy  from  the  royalties  paid  on  her  folding 


HER   LPPORTUNITY. 


box,  and  very  proud  John  is  of  her  success. 
They  own  a  pretty  place  up  the  Hudson,  where 
three  little  Conlons,  with  a  full  share  of  their 
father's  energy,  "keep  things  moving." 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas,  bless  their  kind  hearts, 
are  the  wealthiest  of  all,  not  in  money,  —  for  they 
find  a  thousand  uses  for  their  surplus,  —  but  in 
the  heartfelt  benedictions  of  the  poor  and  the 
knowledge  of  many  souls  won  to  Christ. 

Teddy  Timmins,  the  little  pie-eater,  the  coolest, 
most  audacious  of  all  the  "Wedge"  gamins, 
adopted  by  Professor  Buckingham,  secured  a  good 
education,  and  is  nearly  through  West  Point.  He 
has  grown  tall,  straight,  handsome,  and  pays 
marked  attention  to  Miss  Betteredge,  and  it  is 

whispered but  we  are  getting  gossipy  and 

must  stop. 

As  we  write  this  last  chapter,  there  comes  the 
news  from  the  "  Wedge  "  that  the  building  known 
as  the  Cosmopolitan  Hotel,  which  Mr.  McFadden 
resigned  when  grown  too  feeble  to  manage  it, 
had  been  given  over  to  carpenters,  masons,  and 
decorators,  and  at  length  had  come  out  of  the 
ordeal  a  technical  school  for  girls  and  yonng 
women.  A  splendid  institution  it  is  said  to  be, 
with  a  fine  corps  of  teachers,  no  lack  of  valua- 
ble apparatus,  and  the  dignified  name  —  "  The 
Buckingham  School  of  Useful  Arts." 


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